Step 1

Lightly grease two muffins tins (24 muffin cups); set aside.

Step 2

In a saucepan combine butter, sage and 2 tablespoons of the sugar over medium-high heat; stir just until butter is melted. Stir in buttermilk and heat just until warmed; do not let mixture come to a boil. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.

Step 3

In a bowl, combine the yeast ad remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir in the warm water; set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes, until yeast froths and doubles in size. Add the yeast mixture to the buttermilk mixture; stir to combine.

Step 4

In a separate large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the buttermilk-yeast mixture and stir to combine, forming a sticky dough. Loosely cover the bowl with a clean cloth; let stand in a warm place about 30 minutes, until dough has risen slightly. (At this point, the dough can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day. Before proceeding with recipe, remove from refrigerator and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 5

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Step 6

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead several times, until dough is easy to work with. Pinch off pieces of dough and form into 1-inch balls. To shape cloverleaf rolls, nestle three 1-inch balls in each muffin cup. Loosely cover with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes, until doubled in size.

Step 7

Uncover rolls, brush lightly with melted butter, then bake about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven. Serve warm.