Go Back
+ servings
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

100% Whole Wheat Pumpkin dinner rolls made with white whole wheat flour, honey, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Rising Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories: 265kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (240 mL) milk heated to 110oF
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast I used Red Star Platinum
  • 1/3 cup (105 g) Honey
  • 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or substitute 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon + 3/8 teaspoon cloves +3/8 teaspoon ginger
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (170g) pumpkin purée
  • 4 cups (482g) White whole wheat flour
  • 1 egg + 1 Tbs. water for the egg wash

Instructions

  • Combine the warmed milk and yeast in a small bowl and let it sit and get foamy for 5 minutes.
  • Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl of your stand mixer (or large mixing bowl if making by hand) Add the yeast/milk mixture. Stir the mixture together until it comes together into a soft, sticky dough.
  • Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and allow it to rise for 1.5 to 2 hours, until it's doubled in size.
  • Transfer it to a floured work surface. Flour your hands.
  • Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Round each piece into a smooth ball, or shape into knots.
  • Space 12 rolls into a greased 9" x 13" pan.
  • Cover the pan, and allow the pull-apart rolls to rise until they're crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Uncover the rolls and gently brush them with the egg wash. Bake the rolls for about 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown, tenting them with foil for the final 5 to 10 minutes of baking if they appear to be browning too quickly. A digital thermometer inserted into the middle of a center roll should register at least 190°F.
  • Remove the rolls from the oven, and brush with melted butter. After a couple of minutes, turn the rolls out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
  • Serve warm. Store completely cooled rolls, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Notes

  • Make Ahead: You can make the dough the night before and shape the rolls. Then place in your fridge overnight. When ready to enjoy the next day take them out of the fridge (about 3 hours ahead of time), and let rise at room temperature for about 1-2 hours before baking.
  • Freezing: You can freeze these dinner rolls after they are shaped for up to 3 months. Once frozen you can transfer to a bag. When ready to bake, place them into a greased pan and let thaw/rise at room temperature until thawed and risen (about 4-5 hours). Or you can freeze baked rolls. Let them cool and then place in a freezer bag. When ready to enjoy thaw at room temperature or in the fridge and reheat. 
  • Different Pans: I've only made these in a 9x13 pan, but you could divide the rolls between two round cake pans or a small sheet pan. 
  • Proofing: You make your own bread proofer by preheating your oven to 150F, then turn your oven off and place your bowl of dough in the oven and let it proof in there. 
  • Keeping the rolls warm: Warm some dried beans in a kitchen towel in the microwave for 1-2 minutes then keep the beans wrapped in a towel and place in the bottom of a bread basket and place your rolls on top.
  • Freezing: You can always freeze your rolls unbaked before the final rise. Just shape them and then freeze them. Just be sure to cover them well with plastic wrap and a final layer of tin-foil. When ready to bake, you need to let them thaw overnight in the fridge. Then let them rise at room temperature for an hour and bake as normal. Or freeze them baked as well! Let them cool completely first, then wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and then in tin-foil or a plastic bag. Then thaw at room temperature and reheat in a 300F for 7-8 minutes.
  • Watch that milk! Make sure your milk is the correct temperature for the yeast. The yeast is a living thing and too hot of water will kill it. And too cold will never wake it up, leaving you with rolls that don't rise! Major kitchen bummer. Check out my yeast 101 post to learn more.
  • Use a scale. For best accuracy use a kitchen scale to measure your flour.  This is a soft, sticky dough and you might be tempted to add more flour to the dough. But don't! Just keep the surface and your hands floured as you shape the rolls. Adding too much flour can result in a dry dinner roll not a soft fluffy one!
  • Handle the dough as little as possible. Yes it's a soft sticky dough. You will be tempted to add more flour when shaping. Just keep your counter and hands well floured, and handle the dough as little as possible. The more you handle it, the stickier the dough will get. 

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2689IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg