Looking for a fun roll to go with your Thanksgiving feast? These pumpkin shaped rolls are also made with pumpkin, but are a savory roll that goes perfectly with all of your Thanksgiving dinner favorites.
If you can roll a hunk of dough into a ball and have a pair of sharp scissors, you have all the skills you need to make these cute little pumpkins.
You can make these rolls with either whole wheat or white flour. I usually use a combination of about half of each.
To make the pumpkin shapes: Place balls of dough on a greased baking sheet (or use a silicon baking sheet). Use kitchen shears (or other clean sharp scissors) to make about 5 cuts around the edge of the dough; cuts should be about ½” deep.
Brush or spray dough with oil, cover with a towel and let rise until doubled. For a shiny finish, brush rolls with an egg white wash (room temperature egg white mixed with 1 Tbs water) before baking.
After rolls have baked, use a toothpick or a skewer to poke a small hole in the center of each roll. Press a long sliver of a pecan into the hole to make the stem.
If you are not into pumpkin shapes, you can always make them into more traditional crescents or knots. Instructions on making these shapes can be found HERE.
I like to serve these with honey butter: Mix 1 stick of very soft butter with 1-2 Tbs honey. These rolls can also be made ahead of time and frozen, then baked again just before serving.
RECIPE:
Pumpkin Shaped Dinner Rolls
1 ¼ cups warm water
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 Tbs honey
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs molasses
4 cups whole wheat or white flour
¼ cup wheat gluten
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice **
2 tsp salt
1 Tbs instant yeast***
about 1- 1 ½ cups additional flour
Egg wash: 1 egg white, mixed with 1 Tbs water
Pecans, for stem garnish
Mix water, egg, pumpkin, honey, olive oil and molasses in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, gluten, sugar, spices, salt and yeast. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add additional flour, if needed, a little at a time, until dough just begins to form a ball. Knead for 5-6 minutes, or until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl and springs back slightly when touched.
Shape dough into about 24 balls. Dough balls should be bigger than a golf ball, but slightly smaller than a tennis ball. Place on lightly greased baking sheets, or use a silicone mat. Use kitchen shears (or other sharp scissors) to make 5-6 cuts around the edge of the dough; snip completely through dough to a depth of about ½”. Spray or brush with oil and cover with towel. Let rise for 30-60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Brush rolls with an egg wash: 1 egg white (room temp) mixed with 1 Tbs water. Bake at 375°F for about 15 minutes. After rolls have baked, use a toothpick or a skewer to poke a small hole in the center of each roll. Press a long pecan sliver into the hole to make the stem.
NOTES:
**Pumpkin Pie Spice substitute: 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp each allspice, ginger, and cloves.
***If you are using regular, and not instant, yeast, let dough rise once in a covered bowl until doubled, and then shape into rolls and rise again. (Instant yeast only needs one rise period)
If desired, serve with Honey Butter: 1 stick softened butter mixed with 1-2 Tbs honey.
To make and freeze: Shape rolls and place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Let rise as usual. Bake rolls for 10-12 minutes, or until rolls just barely begin to brown, but are cooked in the center. Rolls should look slightly underdone (not completely brown). Remove from oven. Do not put pecans into center of rolls. Cool completely. Place in Ziploc freezer bags. Freeze.
On serving day: Place frozen rolls on a baking sheet, bake at 350°F for about 7-10 minutes, or until hot and golden brown. If rolls are thawed, bake for 5-6 minutes, or until browned. Add pecans for stems after baking.
Yield: about 2 dozen rolls
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