These adorable pumpkin shaped bread rolls are made with pumpkin puree, a little brown sugar, and warm spices for a Fall-themed bake that taste equally delicious as a savory dinner roll or a sweet snack. And while they look impressive, I'll show you how easy they are to make!
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Pumpkin Buns That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat
When Autumn rolls around, I become obsessed with baking all-things-pumpkin. But sometimes I want to sink my teeth into something that isn't overly sweet, like my pumpkin seed bread. So I created these rustic pumpkin yeast rolls as a whimsical addition to our Thanksgiving table! And while they look like they're straight out of Pinterest, they're super easy to make. Plus they're firm enough to dunk in a savory soup, but soft & perfect for slathering in homemade butter pecan butter for a sweet snack.
In creating this recipe, I wanted to use real pumpkin to add moisture and a natural orange color. And for the stem, you can use a cinnamon stick, but I prefer using pretzel sticks for a cheaper (and edible!) option. Just note that the pretzels soften after they sit in the bread.
Let's Gather Our Ingredients: milk, brown sugar, instant yeast, unsalted butter, pumpkin puree, eggs, all purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and pretzel sticks.
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let's Bake Dinner Rolls
1. Whisk milk, sugar, yeast, melted butter, pumpkin & eggs.
2. Mix in flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
3. Knead the dough.
5. Cut the baking string & coat it in oil.
7. Place the dough on the string & bring the two ends together.
9. Tuck the string under the dough & bring it up the sides.
11. Repeat once more to create 8 sections in the dough.
13. Arrange the rolls on a baking sheet, brush with egg wash & bake.
4. Let it rise.
6. Divide the dough & shape it.
8. Twist the string 90 degrees and bring it down the sides.
10. Twist the string on top 90 degrees and bring it down the sides.
12. Tie the string on the bottom & cut off the excess.
14. Cut & remove the string, then add the pretzels stick stems.
My Recipe Testing Notes
I first tried scoring the buns with knife cuts, but the indentations didn't come out as defined. So baking string was the clear winner to make these look like festive pumpkins.
Tips for Foolproof Holiday Rolls
- Spices: When I don't have pumpkin pie spice in my pantry, I mix a homemade blend of ½ teaspoon of each of the following: ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
- Baking String: To prevent the string from sticking to the bread, I found that dipping my hands in a bowl with a little olive oil, then running it along the string a few times helps grease it. And don't wrap your string too tightly - I made this mistake and my bread rolls ripped as I tried to remove it.
- Smooth Rolls: When shaping the dough balls, gently press the sides down and tuck the seams underneath to create a smooth texture on the top and sides.
- Shaping: In testing, it took me about 25 minutes to shape and tie up all the bread rolls. To avoid the dough from drying out during this time, I kept them covered with a kitchen towel.
Pumpkin Shaped Bread Rolls with Pumpkin Puree
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (one packet)
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs, plus one egg white
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 6 pretzel sticks, broken in half
Instructions
- Wet Ingredients: In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk in the microwave for about 1 minute, until it's between 98°F to 105°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the warm milk with the brown sugar, instant yeast, melted butter, pumpkin puree, and two eggs.
- Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix with a large wooden spoon until it starts to form a cohesive dough.
- Knead: On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Or knead the dough in a stand mixer with a hook attachment for about 3 minutes.)
- Rise: Place the dough ball back in the mixing bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, after about 1½ to 2 hours.
- Prep: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut 12 strands of baking string, each at least 3 feet long. Coat the baking string in olive oil or spray them with cooking spray to prevent them from sticking to the bread.
- Divide & Shape: Divide the dough into 12 even-sized pieces and roll them into smooth balls. Keep them covered with a clean kitchen towel. Place one ball in the middle of a piece of baking string. Bring the ends of the string over the ball then cross them and bring them down so it divides the ball into quarters. Tuck the string under the ball and bring the ends back up, cross them, and back down to divide the ball into eighths. Tie the string on the bottom of the ball and trim off any extra string. (See blog post above for reference photos). Repeat with the remaining dough & arrange the string-tied dough balls on your prepared baking sheet.
- Proof: Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside to proof for 30 minutes, until the dough balls have puffed up against the string.
- Egg Wash: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk one egg white with one teaspoon of water in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Once the rolls are done proofing, brush the tops and sides of each roll with the egg wash.
- Bake: Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are golden.
- Final Step: Let the rolls cool for a few minutes, then cut and remove the baking string. Gently press the pretzel sticks into the top of each roll to create the pumpkin stem. Enjoy!!
Notes
- String: When I tied my baking string too tightly during the first test of this recipe, it caused the bread to rip when I tried to remove it. Keep the string a little loose, so the bread has room to expand around the string as it proofs and bakes.
- Pumpkin: I recommend using pumpkin puree; canned pumpkin pie filling will add way more sweetness.
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)