Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

5 from 1 vote

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are soft on the inside and perfectly baked on the outside. These make a fun and delicious addition to any fall meal and will be extra special on your Thanksgiving table!

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Rising Time1 30

Total Time2 25

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Calories: 198kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra, if needed
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
¼ cup salted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoons salt
8 pretzel rods
2-3 Tablespoons oil
Food safe twine

Instructions

In a small bowl or measuring cup, warm the milk to 100-110 degrees in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
Add the yeast and about a teaspoon of the sugar to the warm milk. Gently stir, then lit sit for 5 minutes to proof until foamy.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the pumpkin puree, remaining sugar, salt, melted butter, and egg.
When the yeast is bubbly, add it to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture. Then using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until combined.
Slowly add in the flour 1 cup at a time, switching to the dough hook about halfway through.
This dough will be soft and sticky but should pull away from the edges of the bowl after kneading for 2-3 minutes. If not, add an additional ½ cup to full cup of flour.
Knead the dough for 7-10 minutes until smooth.
Pour a little oil into the bottom of a large, clean bowl. Form the dough into a ball and roll it in the oil to coat, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let it sit in a warm spot for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising, cut 64, 10-inch pieces of food safe twine. Place the cut twine in a small bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of oil and let it soak. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.
Once the dough has risen, dump it onto a lightly oiled work surface. Cut into 16 equal pieces. Take each piece and shape into a ball by pulling all of the edges to the center and pinching to seal. Set aside.
Take 4 pieces of the soaked twine. Arrange them so that the center of each piece of twine crosses the others and fans out to look like a sliced pie, making sure all of the sections are equal in size.
Take one of the balls of dough and place it seam-side down in the center of the twine. Lift the ends of one of the pieces of twine and gently tie it together over the top of the ball of dough. Repeat this with each of the remaining 3 pieces of twine. Trim any excess twine, then transfer the tied ball of dough onto the prepared baking sheets with the knot-side down.
Repeat the process of tying all the balls of dough and arrange them on the baking sheets with plenty of space between them so they can rise and expand.
Cover the tied rolls loosely with a piece of plastic wrap or a towel and place in a warm spot to rise for another 30-60 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until done. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Once cooled, gently cut and remove the twine from each roll.
Cut off 1.5-inches from the end of each pretzel rod to create the stems. Gently insert the cut-end of each pretzel piece into the center of the tops of the rolls to finish the pumpkins. Enjoy!

Notes

Substitutions: Almonds can be used in place of the pretzel rods for stems.
Storing: Dinner rolls will keep in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days, although they are always best eaten fresh.
Freezing: These rolls freeze great in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Bring the rolls to room temperature by thawing on the counter (if frozen) and then you can warm them up in the oven at 300 degrees F until they are hot (about 4-5 minutes).

Nutrition