Pumpkin Bread Rolls

Pumpkin bread rolls - these cute little pumpkin flavoured dinner rolls are easier to make than you might think and are the perfect centrepiece for an Autumn celebration!

These adorable little pumpkin bread rolls are so much fun to make and perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving. The dough is lightly flavoured with pumpkin and spices; it gives them a delicious flavour but they are mild enough to be able to serve with anything.

There are two different ways to shape the rolls and I have given directions for both below. The first way involves making cuts in the ball of dough with a pair of scissors or a sharp knife.

The good thing about making them using this method is that it is very quick and easy to do, but on the downside they don't look as much like real pumpkins as the buns made using the second method.

The second method involves wrapping a long piece of string around the ball of dough to divide it into eight sections. The rolls are baked with the string attached and the dough rises around the string forming little pumpkin shapes.

The good thing about using this method is that the rolls do look exactly like little pumpkins, but the downside is that it is a little more fiddly and time consuming to do.

Either way you decide to shape them they are sure to look awesome! Especially when you add a slice of pecan to the top to look like a little stalk!

If you don't feel like shaping them, they can also be baked as plain rolls; they will still be delicious!

These pumpkin bread rolls would be perfect to serve at a Thanksgiving celebration if you are in the US; but they are also lovely for all Autumnal occasions. Their pull-apart shape makes them perfect for dipping into soups and stews, and because they work with both savoury and sweet dishes they are also great for breakfast, ideally slathered in cinnamon maple or honey butter!

How To Make Pumpkin Bread Rolls:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them. *

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer whisk together the yeast, ½ tsp of brown sugar and ⅓ of the milk until the yeast has dissolved. Let rest for 5 - 10 minutes until foamy.

Whisk in the rest of the milk, the sugar, pumpkin puree and egg (or flax egg).

Add the flour, salt and spices and stir to form a rough dough. Mix on a medium speed for a couple of minutes then gradually add the butter a tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Turn the mixer up to high and continue to mix until the dough is smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl cleanly. It should still be quite soft and sticky but should not be wet, if it is then you can add in a little more flour as needed.

Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl; cover and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

Knock back the risen dough and divide it into 12-15 even pieces (I made 12). Shape each one into a ball on a lightly floured surface.

To shape the buns using scissors, oil your scissors (or a sharp knife) and make 8 cuts equally spaced around the ball of dough, leaving the centre uncut.

To shape the buns using string, take a long piece of string and find the halfway point. Place the half way point on top of the ball of dough and flip the whole thing over. Pull the two pieces of string together and cross them over to create a cross on the bottom of the ball.

Flip it over again and do the same thing until the ball is divided into 8 equal pieces. Tie the string at the top and cut off any excess. Make sure that you don't pull the string too tight as the dough will expand a lot as it rises and in the oven.

Place the shaped buns well spaced apart on the prepared trays. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and set aside to rise until puffy and the dough springs back slowly if you press it with a finger, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven. If you are using the scissors shaping method then use the oiled end of a wooden spoon to make a deep hole in the centre of each bun. Bake the buns for about 20 minutes until golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Remove the buns from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes then very carefully remove the string (if you used that shaping method). Brush the buns generously with melted butter and push a sliced pecan into the centre of each to make the stalk.

Make Them Vegan:

To make these pumpkin bread rolls vegan, simply swap the milk for an unsweetened dairy free alternative (soy is  best); use vegan butter/margarine in place of the butter and swap the egg for a flax egg.

Pumpkin Puree:

Make sure that you use pumpkin puree for these pumpkin bread rolls, NOT pumpkin pie filling.

For those readers in the UK, tinned pumpkin puree can be a little difficult to get hold of, but I manage to get it from Sainsbury's where it is stocked in the American section of the foreign foods aisle. Alternatively it can be ordered from Amazon.

You can also easily make your own if you can't find it tinned. Simply roast a halved and de-seeded pumpkin or butternut squash until soft then scoop the flesh out of the skin and mash or puree in a food processor. I don't recommend boiling or steaming the pumpkin rather than roasting it as it will make the puree too wet.

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5 from 1 vote

Pumpkin Bread Rolls

Pumpkin bread rolls - these cute little pumpkin flavoured dinner rolls are easier to make than you might think and the perfect centrepiece for an Autumn celebration!

Course Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine American, baking

Keyword bread rolls

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Rising time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Calories 238kcal

Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

• 10 g (3 tsp) fast action/instant yeast
• 160 ml (⅔ cup) milk (either dairy or unsweetened non-dairy is fine)
• 50 g (¼ cup) light brown soft sugar
• 240 g (1 cup) pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
• 1 large egg (or 1 flax egg)
• 510 g (4 ¼ cups) Plain flour (all-purpose)
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 80 g (⅓ cup) butter (or vegan block butter)
• 2 Tbsp melted butter for brushing (or melted vegan butter)
• sliced pecans for stalks (sliced lengthways)

Instructions

• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer whisk together the yeast, ½ tsp of the brown sugar and ⅓ of the milk until the yeast has dissolved. Let rest for 5 - 10 minutes until foamy.
• Whisk in the rest of the milk, the sugar, pumpkin puree and egg (or flax egg).
• Add the flour, salt and spices and stir to form a rough dough. Mix on a medium speed for a couple of minutes then gradually add the butter a tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Turn the mixer up to high and continue to mix for about 5 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl cleanly. It should still be quite soft and sticky but should not be wet, if it is then you can add in a little more flour as needed.
• Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl; cover and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
• Knock back the risen dough and divide it into 12-15 even pieces (I made 12). Shape each one into a ball on a lightly floured surface. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
• To shape the buns using scissors, oil your scissors (or a sharp knife) and make 8 cuts equally spaced around the ball of dough, leaving the centre uncut.
• To shape the buns using string, take a long piece of string and find the halfway point. Place the half way point on top of the ball of dough and flip the whole thing over. Pull the two pieces of string together and cross them over to create a cross on the bottom of the ball. Flip it over again and do the same thing until the ball is divided into 8 equal pieces. Tie the string at the top and cut off any excess. Make sure that you don't pull the string too tight as the dough will expand a lot as it rises and in the oven.
• Place the shaped buns well spaced apart on the prepared trays. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and set aside to rise until puffy and the dough springs back slowly if you press it with a finger, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. If you are using the scissors shaping method then use the oiled end of a wooden spoon to make a deep hole in the centre of each bun. Bake the buns for about 20 minutes until golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Remove the buns from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes then very carefully remove the string (if you used that shaping method). Brush the buns generously with melted butter and push a sliced pecan into the centre of each to make the stalk. Best served on the day they are made; store in an airtight container.

Notes

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

More Pumpkin Recipes:

Crumble topped pumpkin spice cake

Double pumpkin goats cheese pizza

Chocolate ginger pumpkin bread wreath

Vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Halloween Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin pies

Pumpkin layer cake with mascarpone cream and sugared pecans