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Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
5 from 24 votes

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

These pumpkin dinner rolls combine pumpkin puree with heavy cream, milk, eggs, and a blend of cake and bread flours to create soft, slightly sweet yeast rolls. The dough is kneaded thoroughly until it pulls away from the bowl, resulting in a tender crumb with a subtle pumpkin flavor. Optional pumpkin seeds add a crunchy topping. These rolls are best freshly baked and make a seasonal addition to any meal.

Prep Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 16
Calories: 186 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian-American Fusion

Ingredients

  • ½ cup pumpkin about 120g, puree
  • ⅔ cup heavy cream (158 ml, at room temperature)
  • ⅓ cup milk (75 ml, at room temperature)
  • 1 egg at room temperature, large
  • ⅓ cup sugar (115g)
  • ½ cup cake flour (70g)
  • 3½ cups bread flour (500g)
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (10g)
  • 1½ teaspoons salt (7g)
  • egg 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water, wash
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
  • simple syrup (optional: 2 teaspoons of sugar dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. If you are making homemade pumpkin puree, simply steam about ½ pound of any baking pumpkin for 15 minutes, pour out the liquid from the steamer, and scoop the pumpkin flesh out. Mash the pumpkin with a fork until smooth.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add ingredients in the following order: pumpkin puree, heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt. When measuring the flour, tap the measuring cup against a hard surface to ensure there are no air pockets.
  3. Turn the mixer on to the lowest setting, and let it go for 15 minutes--stopping occasionally to push the dough down off the hook. If you're in a humid climate and the dough is too sticky, feel free to add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If you don't have a mixer and would like to knead the dough by hand, extend the kneading time by 10 minutes.
  4. After 15 minutes of mixing, the dough is ready for proofing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel, and place in a warm spot for 1 hour. I proofed the dough in my oven (I had the oven on rapid proof for 5 minutes, turned the oven off, and then closed the oven door). The dough will grow to 1.5x its original size.
  5. In the meantime, grease a square 11x11” pan or 9x13” pan on all sides with a stick of cold butter.
  6. After an hour of proofing, put the dough back in the mixer and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of any air bubbles.
  7. Next, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces on a lightly floured surface, with the help of your kitchen scale. Shape each piece of dough into a smooth ball and arrange them on the pan with about half an inch of space between them on all sides. Once shaped, cover and proof for another hour until the buns grow to 1.5X their original size.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the risen dough with egg wash, and sprinkle with the raw pumpkin seeds.
  9. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Take the buns out of the oven and immediately brush them with the sugar water to give them a really great shine, sweetness, and rich color. Serve warm! (Note, these warm up really well in the microwave!)

Notes

  • If cake flour or bread flour are not available, all-purpose flour can be used as a substitute for both in this recipe.
  • Adjust flour quantity slightly if the dough feels too sticky, especially in humid conditions, adding a tablespoon at a time until manageable.

Nutrition Information

Calories 186kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 29g (10%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 29mg (10%) Sodium 232mg (10%) Potassium 78mg (2%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 1370IU (27%) Vitamin C 0.4mg (0%) Calcium 21mg (2%) Iron 0.6mg (3%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 186

% Daily Value*

Calories 186kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 29g 10%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 29mg 10%
Sodium 232mg 10%
Potassium 78mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 1370IU 27%
Vitamin C 0.4mg 0%
Calcium 21mg 2%
Iron 0.6mg 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.