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Fluffy, delicious, and surprisingly simple to make, these festive pumpkin bread rolls look just like real tiny pumpkins! Perfect for any autumn get together 🎃.
I MEAN! How ADORABLE are these pumpkin bread rolls?? Teeny tiny mini pumpkins with little stems and everything. I die. They're the perfect accompaniment to any fall gathering, and are an absolute must for the Thanksgiving table this year.
Ingredients
These pumpkin bread rolls have a few different ingredients than my go-to traditional dinner rolls:
- Pumpkin puree - yup, not just pumpkin spice! In fact, there's no pumpkin spice to be found in this recipe (proud of me right?).
- Whole milk - Usually I just use whatever milk I happen to have, but for these rolls I specifically use whole milk due to the fat content.
- Ground turmeric - Both for a touch of flavor and for color.
- Ground ginger - Pretty much every time I make anything pumpkin I add ginger. Works for both savory and sweet recipes 👍🏻.
- Chives - Optional but SUPER cute! Slice 'em up in ¼ to ½ inch pieces to use for the pumpkin "stem".
Scroll on down to the recipe for a full ingredients list.
Pumpkin Shaping
How on Earth did I make these pumpkin bread rolls actually look like little pumpkins? Looks super difficult right? Well, I'm happy to tell you it's actually SUPER easy! Otherwise I'd never have attempted this recipe 😂. As we know, though I dabble at baking, I'm a cook at heart. So, if I can make these so can you!
Basically, you're going to want wrap each little roll with twine like a parcel. Plop a roll on the center of a piece of twine cut to about 32 inches. Then, make a cross on top with the twine and flip over the whole thing. Make another cross and flip it over again. Repeat until you have 8 sections (as pictured below). Tie off the twine in a knot, snip off the ends and voila! Pumpkin shaped rolls galore.
Tips and Tricks
For perfect, golden, fluffy pumpkin bread rolls:
- Use a thermometer to check the milk mixture - This will ensure that the yeast will activate. Too hot and the yeast will die, too cold and nothing happens. The perfect temp is between 110˚F and 115˚F.
- Grease the twine - Sounds weird I know. But if you don't, the twine will embed itself in the dough as it bakes and you'll have to pull it out, tearing the rolls and leaving fuzz behind (yuck). I lightly spray mine with a nonstick canola spray, but you can also toss them in a tablespoon or two of oil.
- Use an egg wash - Whisk together an egg with two tablespoons of milk and brush the tops of your rolls with it for the ultimate golden pumpkin bread rolls!
FAQs About This Recipe
Yes you absolutely can. I just didn't want a large knot, whatever you prefer!
Sure! Follow the recipe all the way through step 3. Then start step 4 by placing the rolls on prepared baking sheet. Instead of letting them rise, place the entire sheet with the rolls on it in the freezer. Once frozen, remove the baking sheet and place the rolls in an airtight container or freezer storage bag. They can last in the freezer up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the bag and place them in the fridge on a prepared baking sheet with enough space between each one to rise overnight. Then continue the recipe at step 4 and bake!
Good question. Homemade pumpkin puree has a lot more water content in it than the canned variety. This will change the consistency of the dough drastically. By all means give it a go, but I can't guarantee the results.
If you have any more questions, or just want to let us know how your take on this recipe turned out, leave a comment below!
Pumpkin Bread Rolls
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 15 Rolls 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Fluffy, delicious, and surprisingly simple to make, these festive pumpkin bread rolls look just like real tiny pumpkins! Perfect for any autumn get together 🎃.
Ingredients
For the Rolls
- 3 ½ - 4 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon rapid rise instant yeast (fast acting)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted + extra for greasing
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- Egg wash*
For Pumpkin Shaping
- 15 lengths of cooking twine, each about 24 to 32 inches.
- Nonstick cooking spray, or 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Optional Extras
- Butter for brushing
- Chives, for "stem"
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, heat sugar, butter and milk for 1 minute, until very warm to the touch, around 110˚F to 115˚F, and whisk contents. If it's not hot enough, continue to warm in the microwave in 10-15 second increments to reach the desired temperature, whisking after each increment.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the heated milk mixture and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let sit for 5-7 minutes, until the mixture is foamy.
- Add 3 ½ cups of flour, the salt, turmeric, ginger, egg, and pumpkin puree. Mix with the dough hook on the lowest or "stir" setting for 1-2 minutes until combined and the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add ¼ cup of flour at a time, letting the mixer run another minute, until the dough is pulling away from the sides (no more than 4 cups of flour total should be used).
- When the dough is pulling away from the sides and is only slightly sticky to the touch, increase the speed of the dough hook to medium low and mix for 5 minutes (this is kneading your dough).
- Grease a large bowl with butter. Remove the dough from the dough hook and transfer into the prepared bowl. Cover with saran wrap and let rise for 20 minutes.
Shape the Rolls
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Lightly spray twine to coat with cooking spray or toss the twine in the vegetable oil. This keeps any twine fibers from getting stuck to your delicious rolls! No need to saturate them, a light coat will do just fine.
- When the dough is done rising, turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Gently punch the dough down. Using a pizza cutter or a knife, divide the dough into 15 equally sized pieces. For each piece, fold the seam in and roll into a ball.
- Wrap each roll with twine like a parcel: Lay a piece of twine down straight on the counter. Place a roll seam side down in the center of a piece of twine. With the twine, form a cross over the top of the roll. Flip the roll over and form another cross. Continue flipping and crossing until you have 8 separate sections and your roll is facing seam side down. Tie ends of string firmly into a knot over the center of the roll. Snip off excess string with scissors.
- Place each prepared pumpkin shaped roll ball onto the prepared baking dish. Cover the baking pan gently with a towel and let rise another 20 minutes.
Bake the Rolls
- When the rolls are done rising, brush each one with egg wash.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until cooked through and the tops are golden.
- Remove from heat and place rolls on a wire rack until cool enough to handle. Cut off twine and gently remove from each roll. Brush with butter as desired.
- Optional: With a toothpick, poke a hole in the center of each roll (where the 8 sections intersect). Insert a ¼ to ½ inch long piece of chive for the stem.
Notes
Egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 large egg and 2 tablespoons of milk until fully combined.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Rising Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Baked Goods
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Judy says
These were just delicious and even with my non-existent baking skills, they came out LOOKING LIKE THE PHOTO! This has never happened to me and I was delighted! They really look lovely on our Fall Charcuterie boards. Besides being an adorable, tasty homemade treat, they are inexpensive when compared to filling the charcuterie boards with more crackers or cheese. We will be making them all thru football season and the holidays! THANK YOU!