These golden Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are fun and festive. They are soft and have a lovely hint of pumpkin and spices, perfect for any time of the year.
It has been a while since I last used my “ancient” bread machine. Two days ago I decided to pull it out of storage to see if it still works. Since it was close to the Thanksgiving holidays, I decided to make my favorite holiday Cranberry Walnut Rolls. To my pleasant surprise the bread machine started mixing and kneading just like before. Slightly over 3 hours later, I had some beautiful fragrant rolls for tea time. There was snow outside but it was warm and cozy inside. Together with the aroma of baking it felt festive.
More Dinner Rolls
I had prep some of the side dishes the day before Thanksgiving and so it was supposed to be a more leisurely day for me. I planned on making a pie, roasting the turkey, and putting the finishing touches to my side dishes. Out of the blue, I decided to make these Pumpkin Dinner Rolls I had seen many times on the internet but never got round to making. Why not? I have all the ingredients and everything was under control. I guess bread making can be addictive. One thing is for sure. The aroma of fresh bread is to die for!
To Add or Not to Add More Flour
I did not lookup any specific recipe on the internet but simply modified my Cranberry Walnut Rolls recipe. I started with 2½ cups of bread flour to compensate for the extra moisture in the pumpkin puree. Maybe I should have left it at that. The dough was a little sticky in the bread machine and so I added another ¼ cup of bread flour. The dough became more manageable. If not, my guess is the rolls will probably be softer. So, it is up to you. If you want softer rolls, please go with 2½ cups instead of 2¾ cups of bread flour.
Proofing Mode in My New Oven
The thing about making bread winter in the winter is proofing the dough. It can take a much longer time because of the cold weather unless you crank up the thermostat. I am thankful for the “Proof” mode in my new oven which makes it so much easier. I simply turn on the oven in “Proof” mode (at 100°F/38°C) and place the rolls in there for an hour for the second proofing after shaping the rolls. If it is winter where you live and you do not have a “Proof” mode in your oven, please follow the instructions in the recipe below.
It was quite fun making these rolls and I was pleased with how they turned out. As such, I chose 6 of the best looking ones to give to my neighbor who had company over for Thanksgiving. I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did.
Similar Tools Used in Making These Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.
Sunbeam 2-Pound Programmable Breadmaker
Norpro Silicone Basting Brush, Blue
Kitchenatics 100% Stainless Steel Wire Cooling and Roasting Rack
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup low fat milk (180ml)
- 2¾ cups white bread flour ** (413g)
- ¼ cup butter (cut into ½ inch cubes) (55g)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (122g)
- 1 large egg + 2 tbsp water for egg wash
- 12 cloves for garnishing (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pour milk into bread machine pan. Sprinkle bread flour over milk. Drop butter cubes all over the flour,
- Place salt, sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves in separate corners of bread pan.
- Make a shallow indentation in the middle of flour and add yeast.
- Snap bread pan into bread machine and close lid. Set bread machine to dough setting. Press the start button.
- Lightly oil a baking sheet.
- When dough cycle is complete, remove dough from the bread machine and place it on a lightly floured surface.
- Punch down gently and cut dough into 12 equal portions. Shape each section into rounds.
- Using a pair of scissors, snip each round of dough 8 times evenly spaced towards the center but not all the way through. Poke a hole in the middle with a chopstick.
- Transfer shaped dough onto prepared baking sheet and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place to rise for 1 to 1½ hours minutes or until almost double in size.
- Preheat oven to 375˚F (190°C). Brush rolls with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a light golden brown.
- Transfer rolls onto a wire rack. Stick a clove into the hole in the middle.
- Serve warm with butter.
NOTES
NUTRITION
I know today is the day after Thanksgiving but like the saying goes, “It is better late than never.” HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
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