Makes 15
Cooler temps and gatherings with friends and family call for a return to favorite baking projects. Pumpkin dinner rolls, soft yeasty buns mixed with pure pumpkin puree, will be a hit at any meal. The recipe is uncomplicated, but what it does require is time. Start with a rich dough, with seasonal flavors such as apple cider and maple syrup. Before you mix a yeast dough, first bloom or activate the yeast in a warm, but not hot, liquid with enough sugar to get the yeast going. If the mixture doesn't froth after 5 to 10 minutes, try warming it gently and wait a few more minutes. If there is still no visible action, toss the yeast and start over again with another packet of yeast. The dough rises twice, once before it is formed into rolls and once after the rolls are in the pan. When the pan of rolls has doubled in size and almost filled the pan, they're ready to bake. Brush them gently with beaten egg for a nice shine and top them with coarse sea salt and pepitas for crunch. Serve warm or at room temperature with soft butter.
| Canola or vegetable oil (for the dish and bowl) | |
| ¼ | cup heavy cream |
| ¼ | cup apple cider |
| 2¼ | teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast |
| ¼ | cup maple syrup |
| 4 | tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cool but still liquid |
| 1 | can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree |
| 2 | eggs |
| 5 | cups flour |
| 1½ | teaspoons kosher salt |
| Extra flour (for sprinkling) | |
| 2 | tablespoons pepitas |
| Coarse sea salt (for sprinkling) |
1. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. In a saucepan, combine the cream and cider. Heat until it reaches 105 degrees. If it gets too hot, let it sit until it comes down to that temperature. Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the maple syrup. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until it begins to foam and froth.
3. In an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook (or in a bowl with a wooden spoon), combine the yeast mixture with the remaining maple syrup, butter, pumpkin puree, 1 of the eggs, flour, and kosher salt. Mix on medium speed for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, a little at a time, if the dough seems excessively sticky or wet.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead it a few times and shape it into a ball. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Set in a warm place and leave to rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Gently punch down the dough and press it out into a rectangle. Divide the dough into 15 even-sized pieces (about 3 to 3 1/2 ounces each). Shape a roll by setting one piece smooth side down. Imagine that the piece is a little clock face. Take the top edge of the piece and press it into the center, from 12 o'clock into the middle. Make a quarter turn and do the same press. Repeat 2 more times to shape a round. Then turn the round over so the smooth side is up. Cup your palm and with a circular motion, roll the dough lightly under your palm to make a smooth ball. Continue in this way, shaping all the pieces into balls.
6. Transfer them to the baking dish, setting them in rows, smooth sides up. Make 5 vertical rows and 3 horizontal rows. Cover the dish with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Set in a warm place and leave to rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until they double in size.
7. Set the oven at 375 degrees.
8. Beat the remaining egg lightly. Uncover the rolls, and gently brush them with the egg. Sprinkle the tops with pepitas and sea salt. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the center of a roll registers 200 degrees.
9. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with soft butter.
Karoline Boehm Goodnick
Makes 15
Cooler temps and gatherings with friends and family call for a return to favorite baking projects. Pumpkin dinner rolls, soft yeasty buns mixed with pure pumpkin puree, will be a hit at any meal. The recipe is uncomplicated, but what it does require is time. Start with a rich dough, with seasonal flavors such as apple cider and maple syrup. Before you mix a yeast dough, first bloom or activate the yeast in a warm, but not hot, liquid with enough sugar to get the yeast going. If the mixture doesn't froth after 5 to 10 minutes, try warming it gently and wait a few more minutes. If there is still no visible action, toss the yeast and start over again with another packet of yeast. The dough rises twice, once before it is formed into rolls and once after the rolls are in the pan. When the pan of rolls has doubled in size and almost filled the pan, they're ready to bake. Brush them gently with beaten egg for a nice shine and top them with coarse sea salt and pepitas for crunch. Serve warm or at room temperature with soft butter.
| Canola or vegetable oil (for the dish and bowl) | |
| ¼ | cup heavy cream |
| ¼ | cup apple cider |
| 2¼ | teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast |
| ¼ | cup maple syrup |
| 4 | tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cool but still liquid |
| 1 | can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree |
| 2 | eggs |
| 5 | cups flour |
| 1½ | teaspoons kosher salt |
| Extra flour (for sprinkling) | |
| 2 | tablespoons pepitas |
| Coarse sea salt (for sprinkling) |
1. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. In a saucepan, combine the cream and cider. Heat until it reaches 105 degrees. If it gets too hot, let it sit until it comes down to that temperature. Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the maple syrup. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until it begins to foam and froth.
3. In an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook (or in a bowl with a wooden spoon), combine the yeast mixture with the remaining maple syrup, butter, pumpkin puree, 1 of the eggs, flour, and kosher salt. Mix on medium speed for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, a little at a time, if the dough seems excessively sticky or wet.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead it a few times and shape it into a ball. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Set in a warm place and leave to rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Gently punch down the dough and press it out into a rectangle. Divide the dough into 15 even-sized pieces (about 3 to 3 1/2 ounces each). Shape a roll by setting one piece smooth side down. Imagine that the piece is a little clock face. Take the top edge of the piece and press it into the center, from 12 o'clock into the middle. Make a quarter turn and do the same press. Repeat 2 more times to shape a round. Then turn the round over so the smooth side is up. Cup your palm and with a circular motion, roll the dough lightly under your palm to make a smooth ball. Continue in this way, shaping all the pieces into balls.
6. Transfer them to the baking dish, setting them in rows, smooth sides up. Make 5 vertical rows and 3 horizontal rows. Cover the dish with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Set in a warm place and leave to rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until they double in size.
7. Set the oven at 375 degrees.
8. Beat the remaining egg lightly. Uncover the rolls, and gently brush them with the egg. Sprinkle the tops with pepitas and sea salt. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the center of a roll registers 200 degrees.
9. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with soft butter.