Made with pumpkin puree, these soft and fluffy pumpkin buns are a delicious and flavorful alternative to the usual dinner rolls, perfect to serve alongside your holiday dinner.
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Why you should try this pumpkin dinner rolls recipe
- Try something new – It's amazing how you can utilize seasonal fruits and vegetables to create delicious bread and desserts. So, if you have a pumpkin or a butternut squash at home, make homemade pumpkin puree and give this pumpkin bun recipe a try.
- Extremely fluffy – Just like Dinner rolls, these pumpkin buns are soft and fluffy inside. Warm them up and enjoy them with some butter, or use them as a base for jam, chocolate spread, or any other spread you prefer.
- Adjustable to your taste – I appreciate this pumpkin dinner roll recipe for its versatility. You can increase the sweetness and add spices like ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and more. Moreover, you can incorporate nuts, seeds, or raisins into the dough (just as I did with these Hot cross buns) to create your unique pumpkin bun recipe.
Looking for more recipes to serve during Thanksgiving dinner? Try this Sandwich bread or this Japanese Milk Bread. Or if you're looking for delicious pumpkin desserts, give a try to this easy-to-make Pumpkin Roll or to these Pumpkin Muffins with a crunchy topping.
What pumpkin puree to choose
When it comes to choosing the right pumpkin puree for this recipe, opt for 100% natural puree from any brand you prefer or make homemade pumpkin puree from scratch. The most important thing is to avoid using pumpkin pie filling, as it contains additional ingredients that are unnecessary for our pumpkin buns.
You can also make butternut squash puree instead (which is what I use most of the time), but be aware that the flavor will be more subtle, and the buns will have a color closer to yellow than orange.
If you're making homemade puree, ensure that it has a consistency similar to the canned pumpkin puree you find in stores. If your puree turns out too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out. If it's too runny, you may need to strain out excess liquid using a cheesecloth.
Other ingredients you will need
- Bread flour - Use bread flour to create these soft pumpkin rolls.
- Yeast - I use instant yeast, but you can replace it with the same amount of active dry yeast. To use active dry yeast, activate it in lukewarm milk before incorporating it into the pre-fermented dough. Alternatively, you can use fresh yeast, but you'll need to increase the amount and activate it before use.
- Whole milk
- Eggs - You'll need one egg for the dough and an additional egg for an egg wash.
- Sugar - Feel free to increase the amount of sugar to make the buns sweeter.
- Salt
- Butter
- Pepitas
Cooking tips
Wait until the pre-fermented dough is ready to use. Patience is key! Allow the pre-fermented dough to rise and develop its flavors fully. It should be very bubbly and have an acidic smell when it’s ready.
Knead the dough until it passes the windowpane test. When kneading, ensure the dough is well-developed. Test it by stretching a small piece until you can see a thin, translucent "windowpane." This guarantees the right texture.
Bake the buns until they sound hollow inside. To know when your pumpkin buns are perfectly baked, listen for that satisfying hollow sound when you tap them. It's a sure sign they're done and ready to enjoy.
How to make pumpkin buns
Making the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all pre-fermented dough ingredients. Place in a warm place for 1 hour.
- When it has doubled in volume and is bubbly, add the bread flour, pumpkin pure, salt, sugar, and the egg. Knead on medium for 5 minutes or until the dough looks more homogenous and pulls easily from the sides of the bowl.
- Add the butter in 4 parts and knead each part until it’s completely incorporated. When done, knead the dough for 10-13 minutes on medium until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and you can stretch a small piece of it into a square, creating a film thin enough for light to pass through.
- Proof for 1 to 2 hours or until it doubles in volume. Alternatively, proof in the fridge overnight.
Shaping and baking instructions
- Line a 9" by 13" (22cm by 33cm) baking pan with parchment paper. You can also grease it with butter or oil spray instead.
- Punch the dough down and remove it onto a working surface. Divide into 15 even pieces and shape them into tight balls. Place them in the prepared baking pan.
- Proof the buns for 1 hour or until doubled in volume and jiggly.
- Whisk the egg and milk to make an egg wash and brush the top of the buns with it. Then, sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.
- Bake the pumpkin buns in the preheated to 375F (190C) oven for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 190F (88C). The top should be a deep brown color and the bread should sound like it’s hollow inside when you tap on it.
Possible variations
- Add spices – Incorporate your favorite fall-inspired spices like ground cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice directly into the dough.
- Add raisins – Soak your choice of raisins in warm water for 5 minutes, then add them to the dough after all the butter has been incorporated. Knead like that for 10-13 minutes. Afterward, shape the pumpkin bread rolls and bake them to perfection.
- Add nuts – Similar to adding raisins, you can incorporate nuts or pumpkin seeds right into the dough during the final stage of kneading.
FAQ
Store them covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Yes, you can freeze pumpkin buns. Place them in an airtight container or a zip-top freezer bag, separating them with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. To enjoy, simply thaw them at room temperature or reheat them in the oven.
More bread recipes you may like
Recipe card
Pumpkin buns
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Stand mixer or hand mixer with a hook attachment and a large mixing bowl or a hand mixer with hook attachments
- 9" by 13" (22cm by 33cm) deep baking pan
Ingredients
Pre-fermented dough
- 130 ml whole milk at room temperature
- 7 g instant yeast
- 100 g bread flour
The main dough
- All pre-fermented dough
- 300 g bread flour
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 130 g pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
- 30 g granulated white sugar or 50g if you want sweeter buns
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 70 g unsalted butter softened
Topping
- 1 small egg
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- Pumpkin seeds optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all pre-fermented dough ingredients. Place in a warm place for 1 hour (I use the oven with the lights turned on).
- When it has doubled in volume, is bubbly, and has an acidic smell, add the bread flour, pumpkin pure, salt, sugar, and the egg. Place it in a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment. Knead on medium for 5 minutes or until the dough looks more homogenous and pulls easily from the sides of the bowl but still sticks to your hands.
- Add the butter in 4 parts and knead each part until it’s completely incorporated (the dough can look like it’s disintegrating but will come back together eventually). When done, knead the dough for 10-13 minutes on medium until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and you can stretch a small piece of it into a square, creating a film thin enough for light to pass through (windowpane test). The dough should be very soft, smooth, and not sticky anymore.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature to proof for 1 to 2 hours, depending on how warm it is in your kitchen until it doubles in volume. Alternatively, proof in the fridge overnight.
- Line a 9" by 13" (22cm by 33cm) baking pan with parchment paper. You can also grease it with butter or oil spray instead.
- Punch the dough down and remove it onto a working surface. Divide into 15 even pieces (54g each or eyeball it). Shape each piece into a tight ball and place it in the prepared baking pan. If the dough sticks too much, you can grease your hands with a little bit of olive oil.
- Cover the pan filled with rolls with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature to proof for 1 hour or until doubled in volume and jiggly.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
- Whisk the egg and milk to make an egg wash and brush the top of the buns with it. Then, sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.
- Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 190F (88C). The top should be a deep brown color and the bread should sound like it’s hollow inside when you tap on it.
- Remove from the oven and let the buns rest for 10-15 minutes or until just warm before serving.
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