Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Delicious, light and fluffy pumpkin dinner rolls, that are lightly sweet and beautifully coloured and moistened by the addition of a bit of pumpkin puree.
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 teaspoons Active Dry or Instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons fine salt, reduce to 1 3/4 teaspoons if using salted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 6 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled plus more, as needed
- 1 1/4 cups milk, 2% or whole
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in to 8 pieces
- 1/2 cup runny honey, mild liquid honey
- 1 cup pumpkin puree, not pie filling
Before baking:
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Assorted toppings: poppy seeds, sesame seeds and/or pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- If using Active Dry Yeast: Don't add the yeast to the flour mixture, but rather add it to the lukewarm milk mixture in Step 2, ensuring that the mixture has cooled to 105F before adding the Active dry yeast.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddie attachment, stir together the Instant yeast, salt, nutmeg and 5 cups of the flour.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, butter and honey. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the milk mixture is about 110F. (If it gets too warm, simply stir for a bit until the temperature reduces to this range).
- Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients in the mixer and mix at medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and mix for another 2 minutes. Remove the paddle attachment and scrape any dough back into the bowl. Replace with the kneading hook. Begin adding the additional 1/2 cup additional flour a bit at a time, to start, kneading between additions until you have a moist, smooth but not sticky dough that cleans the bowl and wraps the kneading hook. Knead the dough with the mixer for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove the dough to a floured work surface and knead for about 1 minute, adding additional flour only if the dough is sticking to your hands or the work surface.
- Place the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Meanwhile, grease two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside.
- *Note: I like to use a kitchen scale to ensure my rolls all come out the same size. It ensures even cooking and it looks nicer in the pan, as well. Simply weigh out the whole piece of dough. Divide that weight by 2 to determine the weight each half should be. To divide each half in to 12 equal pieces, divide the weight of the half by 12 and make all the rolls that weight. Typically, the total dough weight should be in the 1500g range and the individual rolls in the 60g range.
- Once the dough has doubled, remove the dough to a floured surface and gently deflate. Divide dough into two equal parts, then divide each part into 12 equal-sized pieces, for a total of 24 pieces. Form each of the pieces of dough into a ball by stretching the dough smooth for the top, then flipping over and pinching the bottom well. Place the rolls into the prepared pans with the pinched side down, placing them with 9 rolls around the outside and 3 rolls in the middle. Cover with greased plastic wrap and set to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375F (non-convection) about 15 minutes before rising is complete. Once the rolls have doubled in size, brush the tops and sides of the rolls with the beaten egg, then sprinkle the tops of the rolls with seeds, doing 4 rolls each of sesame seed, poppy seed and pumpkin seeds or using seeds of your choice.
- Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until cooked through and lightly golden brown. *Check at the 20-minute mark and loosely cover with aluminum foil if the rolls are browned enough at that point. Allow to cool in the pan briefly, then remove the rolls as one piece from the pans to cooling racks to cool completely. Avoid tearing off rolls before the rolls have almost completely cooled to prevent gummy dough.
Notes
These rolls freeze well, so can be made ahead. Wrap tightly and freeze. Thaw in the same wrapping. Re-heat in a 350F. oven wrapped in foil until warmed, about 8-10 minutes.
Be sure to read the notes above this recipe card, where I share more detailed tips, variations and substitution suggestions for this recipe! You'll also find step-by-step photos that you may find helpful.
Serving: 1roll, Calories: 182kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 237mg, Potassium: 86mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1740IU, Vitamin C: 0.5mg, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 1.7mg
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