Step 1
In a small pot over medium heat, stir the pumpkin puree until most of the excess moisture is cooked out; 5 minutes. The pumpkin puree should be fragrant and almost paste-like in consistency. Remove from the heat and immediately add in the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cayenne, cumin, allspice, cloves, and ¼ teaspoon (2 grams) of salt. Stir to combine.
Step 2
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir 1 teaspoon (4 grams) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar into the warm water. Sprinkle in the instant yeast and stir to dissolve. Let sit until mixture is foamy; 5 minutes.
Step 3
Whisk together the yogurt and egg until well combined. Add mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer. Add in the remaining Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, canola oil, and the cooked pumpkin puree. Using the paddle attachment, stir to combine.
Step 4
Add in 1 cup (120 grams) of the bread flour and the remaining salt, and mix on low speed until just combined.
Step 5
Switch to the dough hook. Mix on low speed and gradually add the remaining flour into the bowl until it begins to form a soft, yet tacky dough. Continue to knead the dough until dough begins to come away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball; 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 6
Continue to knead dough until it forms a soft, smooth, supple ball of dough that holds its shape when held in the palm of your hand; 8 to 10 minutes. This can be done by hand on a lightly floured work-surface; 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 7
Lightly grease a large bowl. Place the dough rounded side down first, and flip it over to ensure the dough is lightly greased. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp, lint-free kitchen towel placed over the bowl; the light greasing will prevent the dough from sticking. Place the covered bowl in a warm, draft-free location to rise until almost doubled in size; about 45 minutes.
Step 8
Grease a 9” x 13” baking pan. Set aside.
Step 9
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently flatten the dough to redistribute the gasses in the dough. Using a sharp chef’s knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 18 equal pieces.
Step 10
Round and shape each piece of dough to form a smooth ball. Evenly arrange the rounded dough into the prepared baking pan into 3 rows of six.
Step 11
Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free location until the balls of dough are puffy and touching one another; about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 12
Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C) about 30 minutes into the 2nd rise to ensure the oven is ready when the rolls have finished proofing.
Step 13
Whisk together the egg and water. Lightly brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash, and if desired, sprinkle raw pepitas over the rolls. Also, if using, lightly sprinkle the rolls with flaky sea salt.
Step 14
Place pan into the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the center of a center roll registers 190°F (88°C).
Step 15
Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan; 10 minutes. Turn the rolls out of the pan onto a wire cooling rack. Serve warm.
Completely cooled rolls can be placed into a resealable plastic bag or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 4 days at room temperature, or can be wrapped in plastic wrap, placed into a freezer safe bag, and frozen for up to 6 months.
*Ensure that you are not using pumpkin pie filling; look for canned pumpkin.
*Homemade pumpkin puree can be used in place of the canned pumpkin, if desired.
*Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature (eg. yogurt and egg) before proceeding with the recipe.
*For a herbaceous note, add a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh herbs (eg. rosemary, thyme, or sage) to the pumpkin dinner rolls when adding in the spices.
*If a stand mixer is unavailable, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon or stiff rubber spatula to do steps 2 to 5. In step 5, switch to a bowl scraper if possible, to scrape the dough from the bottom of the bowl and fold it over the top, repeating this process until the dough is manageable. This process will take several minutes longer than using a stand mixer.
*If kneading the last part by hand, be light-handed. Pushing the dough down into the table rather than gently pushing the dough across the table can yield a dough that feels too sticky or wet. Use a bench scraper or plastic bowl scraper to aid you in folding the over onto itself, or scraping the dough off the worksurface.
*For evenly sized rolls, weigh dough after it has doubled in size, and after it has been degassed. Divide weight by 18.
*Serve with honey-butter, salted butter, cranberry sauce, gravy, or drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
*Can be used to make mini sliders with leftover turkey slices and stuffing.
