Description
These Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are soft, fluffy, and infused with warm spices like cardamom and garlic powder. Perfect for fall or holiday meals, they resemble little pumpkins with their unique scored design and green pumpkin seed ‘stems’. Made with pumpkin puree and enriched with butter, these rolls offer a cozy and flavorful twist on classic dinner rolls.
Ingredients
Scale
Yeast Mixture
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup warm whole milk
Dough
- 3 ½ – 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
Topping
- Butter, for brushing after baking
- Green pumpkin seeds (roasted and salted preferred), for garnish
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: Mix the active dry yeast and sugar in warm whole milk (warm, not hot, around 105-110°F). Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy, indicating the yeast is active and ready to use.
- Mix Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast mixture, all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cardamom, butter, and pumpkin puree. Mix on low speed for about 5 minutes until ingredients are combined, then increase to medium speed and mix for an additional 2-4 minutes to develop gluten, resulting in a smooth elasticity in the dough.
- First Rise: Remove the dough from the mixer and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a warm damp towel and let it rest in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size.
- Fold Dough: Once risen, punch down and fold the dough to degas and stretch it slightly, then form back into a ball. Return it to the bowl and cover again to let rest for another 30 minutes.
- Prepare Pans: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper while the dough completes its second rise.
- Shape Rolls: Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently stretch it into a 12×12 inch square. Cut into 16 equal pieces (about 3 inches each). Roll each piece into a ball and place them spaced about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Proof Rolls: Cover the shaped rolls and let them proof until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Create Pumpkin Shape: When rolls have doubled, gently flatten each roll slightly with your hand without completely squashing them. Using a sharp knife, make 5-6 vertical cuts around each roll, being careful not to cut all the way through the center. This creates the pumpkin ridges. Poke a small crater in the center of each roll for the topping.
- Bake: Bake rolls in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. If baking both sheets at once, rotate their positions halfway through baking (after 7-9 minutes) to ensure even browning.
- Add Finishing Touches: Remove rolls from oven and immediately brush the tops with melted butter. Place a green pumpkin seed in the crater center of each roll to mimic a pumpkin stem. Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Ensure milk is warm, not hot, to properly activate yeast without killing it.
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, to avoid added sugars and spices.
- The scoring technique is key to creating the pumpkin appearance—cutting multiple vertical slits but leaving the center intact.
- Butter brushing after baking adds shine and richness to the rolls.
- These rolls freeze well; thaw and warm before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
