Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
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Sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls are such a lovely way to incorporate the taste and color of fall into your sourdough baking! Slightly sweet with a drizzle of honey butter and visually striking with unmissable color, these sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls are set to the be the star of your holiday table. They make the perfect side for your Thanksgiving feast, or any time you need some color on your table!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Shaping Versatility - You can present these sourdough rolls pull apart style, baked in a cast iron skillet or you could shape them as individual rolls so that they are separate once baked.
Velvety Soft - Adding pumpkin to bread dough has a similar effect to adding potato. You get a very tender crumb - an almost velvety texture. The pumpkin acts as the hydration in the dough that also adds a vibrant color.
Egg Free - these rolls are egg free because I find that the pumpkin brings enough richness to these rolls. You could of course use an egg wash on the top of the rolls before baking, but I prefer to use a little cream and then top with honey butter.
Ingredients
- Bread Flour - I don't recommend using all purpose flour, you need a high protein bread flour.
- Sourdough Starter - this recipe uses active sourdough starter as the leavening agent. You'll need to make sure your starter has been fed and is risen and bubbly.
- Pumpkin Puree - I've tested this recipe with both homemade pumpkin puree and canned puree and it works with either. The only difference is the color. I find they are more orange with homemade puree, whereas with canned (I only use Libby's) they are more of a deep yellow color. The flavor is the same though. Room temperature puree is best. You can substitute sweet potato for the pumpkin if you wish. It will give a very similar result.
- Milk - I've used whole milk, warmed slightly in the microwave to ensure it doesn't hamper bulk fermentation.
- Honey - honey brings sweetness to these rolls. I've used honey in both the dough and as a topping. You can leave the honey out of the topping if you want to. You could also substitute with maple syrup if you prefer.
- Butter - as always I've used salted butter, but you can of course use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Salt
- Heavy Cream - You'll need just a small amount of heavy whipping cream to brush onto the rolls before baking. This keeps them super soft.
How To Make Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Add the bread flour, sourdough starter, pumpkin puree, warm milk and honey to the bowl of your stand mixer and use the dough hook attachment to knead into a rough dough. Let the dough rest for around 30 minutes.
Add the salt and melted butter and knead the dough until it is silky and elastic. This is such a lovely dough it should be very easy to handle. I usually knead the dough for around 3 to 5 minutes, until it's not sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl. You can knead this dough by hand if you prefer, I just find it more convenient to use a stand mixer.
Once the dough has been sufficiently kneaded, cover it and allow it bulk ferment until the dough has risen around 30%. The rolls don't need to double during this first rise because they will finish rising after shaping.
Once the dough has finished the bulk ferment, you will need to shape the rolls. Weigh out the dough into whatever size balls you'd like. I've done 15 rolls at 65g each. Form the dough into balls by pinching the the dough into the centre until they form a round shape.
Place the dough balls into a rectangle baking dish (I've used a USA Pan Sheet Cake Pan measuring 9" x 13"). Cover the rolls with plastic wrap, place them in a warm spot and allow them to proof and get puffy (this will take a while, depending on the temperature in your kitchen).
When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF. Brush the top of each roll with a little heavy whipping cream.
Bake the sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls at 190ºC/375ºF for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.
While the rolls are baking, mix together the honey and the butter. Set aside. Once you've removed them from the oven, gently brush the tops of the rolls with the honey butter while they are still in the tray.
Kate's Recipe Tips
- Don't add extra flour to the recipe - this will result in tough and dense rolls once baked. The dough is silky and elastic - it needs to be kneaded really well to achieve this consistency.
- Don't be tempted to add extra flour for shaping - the dough will not need it.
- Don't rush the second rise or proof on these rolls. They really will need quite a while to become soft and puffy. This will be instrumental to the softness of the rolls once baked.
Baking Timeline for Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Here's a sample timeline for these sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls. It's up to you whether you choose to cold proof them or not. This is a great way to pop them on pause so you can bake them fresh the next day.
This baking timeline would be suitable for Thanksgiving Lunch (but the exact times will depend on you particular starter and the temperature of your kitchen).
| TIME | PROCESS |
|---|---|
| DAY 1 | |
| 7.00 AM | Mix and knead the sourdough pumpkin dinner dough. |
| 8:00 AM | Allow dough to bulk ferment to around 30%. |
| 4.00 PM | Shape rolls and place into a rectangle baking dish. Allow the rolls to sit for around an hour at room temperature. |
| 5:00 PM | Cover with plastic wrap and place into fridge. |
| DAY 2 | |
| 7.00 AM | Take out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. You want the rolls to be soft and puffy before you bake them, so allow plenty of time. |
| 11.00 AM | Brush rolls with heavy whippping cream and bake sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls, brushing with honey butter once you remove them from the oven. |
How To Store and Freeze
Room Temperature - Store these sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. They won't be super fresh after the first 24 hours but you can warm them a little in the microwave to freshen them up.
Freezing - These sourdough dinner rolls freeze really well. Place the cooled rolls into a ziplock bag (I prefer not to pull them apart if I'm going to freeze them). Seal the bag and place into the freezer.
When you're ready to use the rolls, allow them to thaw on the counter in the ziplock bag. If you want to serve them warm, wrap the thawed rolls in aluminum foil and place into a warm oven for around 20 minutes. You can brush with honey butter just before you serve if you want to. Once warm, pull them apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use sourdough discard to make this recipe, you'll need to substitute the same amount of discard as active starter. You should also use 7g of commercial yeast along with your discard.
The honey adds a subtle sweetness to these rolls. You can substitute maple syrup if you prefer and if you want to, skip the honey for the tops of the rolls and just brush them with butter once they're baked.
You could add some pumpkin spice to the rolls if you want to, however be aware that the cinnamon and other spices can hamper fermentation, so you may want to consider adding a pinch of yeast if you do this.
Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook Attachment (you can also knead this dough by hand if you want to)
- Digital Scale
- Baking Dish or Pan (I've used a USA Pan Sheet Cake Pan measuring 9" x 13")
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 g Bread Flour
- 100 g Sourdough Starter (active and bubbly)
- 150 g Pumpkin Puree (store bought or homemade is fine)
- 80 g Milk (warm)
- 40 g Honey
- 30 g Butter (melted)
- 10 g Salt
Honey Butter for Topping
- 20 g Honey
- 20 g Butter (melted)
Instructions
- Add the bread flour, sourdough starter, pumpkin puree, warm milk and honey to the bowl of your stand mixer and use the dough hook attachment to knead into a rough dough. Let the dough rest for around 30 minutes.
- Add the salt and melted butter and knead the dough until it is silky and elastic. This is such a lovely dough it should be very easy to handle. I usually knead the dough for around 3 to 5 minutes, until it's not sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl. You can knead this dough by hand if you prefer, I just find it more convenient to use a stand mixer.
- Once the dough has been sufficiently kneaded, cover it and allow it bulk ferment at room temperature until the dough has risen around 30%.
- Once the dough has finished the bulk ferment, you will need to shape the rolls. Weigh out the dough into whatever size balls you'd like. I've done 15 rolls at 65g each.
- Form the dough into balls by pinching the the dough into the centre until they form a round shape. Place the dough balls into a rectangle baking dish (I've used a USA Pan Sheet Cake Pan measuring 9" x 13").
- Cover the rolls with plastic wrap, place them in a warm spot and allow them to proof and get puffy (this will take a while, depending on the temperature in your kitchen).
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF. Brush the top of each roll with a little heavy whipping cream.
- Bake the sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls at 190ºC/375ºF for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.
- While the rolls are baking, mix together the honey and the butter. Set aside. Once you've removed them from the oven, gently brush the tops of the rolls with the honey butter while they are still in the tray.
Nutrition
You mentioned your thermomixer as the tool used for kneading. Is there a reason everything can’t be mixed together from the start? I am working by hand and you seemed to imply that would not work as well. Thank you.
Can you do an overnight cold ferment before baking for these rolls?
Your timeline and your directions are in conflict. The timeline says proof and to put in the frig, but the directions say proof and bake without a cold ferment.
Hi Kate, I’ve just formed these and started the second rise. Doing a practice run for Thanksgiving. Have you tried putting them in the fridge after second rise? I’m just working out oven logistics on cook day.
They'll be okay in the fridge after the second rise for up to 24 hours. You'll want to bring them to room temperature before baking. 🙂 Good luck!
Have made these 3 times now and am in the midst of making them again! They turn out so soft and delicious. I made my own sweet potato puree and it doesn’t seem to have as much moisture, so I have to add more of that and extra milk, but besides that the recipe works well and has been a hit at social gatherings.