Indulge in these soft pumpkin rolls with a dollop of whipped spice butter from the comforts of your cozy hobbit hole!
Autumn in Middle Earth
As the fall season is upon us, we can imagine the transition from bright florals and vibrant green botanicals to the golden hues and burnt colours of autumn spreading across the foliage of JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth. We can’t help but wonder, what would Gandalf drink to wind down on a crisp Autumn evening? Or what enchanting autumnal delicacies would the Elves enjoy amongst the falling leaves of Rivendell? Let us explore together some of the culinary delights from different lands for an Autumn Feast in Middle Earth.
The Shire
Let us journey to the Shire to the cozy comforts of a hobbit hole, to enjoy these soft pumpkin rolls. The perfect hobbit delicacy, these pumpkin rolls are best served warm from the oven and slathered in a whipped spice butter. For hobbits who certainly love their comfort foods, these fluffy pumpkin rolls certainly fit the bill. Pumpkin purée gives these rolls their deep, golden colour and a subtle flavour. They can be enjoyed with plain butter, but I like topping them with a sweet, spiced butter for a treat! These soft pumpkin rolls are perfect for a tea time snack or served alongside a harvest meal.
Ingredient Notes
Pumpkin purée: Canned pumpkin purée is easy to use and readily available. However, you could use fresh cooked pumpkin purée if you prefer.
Flour: This recipe uses all-purpose flour.
Yeast: This recipe uses traditional active dry yeast.
Honey: These rolls get a hint of sweetness from honey. You could substitute with sugar if you prefer.
How to Make Soft Pumpkin Rolls
Activate the yeast
Heat ½ cup of water to between 105°F and 115°F. Add the sugar and the active dry yeast. Stir briefly and then set aside for the yeast to activate.
When the yeast is bubbly and risen, after about 5 minutes, proceed with the recipe. If the yeast has not activated and isn’t bubbly, then the yeast is no longer alive and needs to be discarded.
Make the dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer add the pumpkin, honey, melted butter, one beaten egg, and the yeast mixture and stir together. Add the flour and salt and attach the dough hook.
Mix, using the dough hook, until the dough starts to come together. Scrape down the sides occasionally to encourage the dough to come together. If the dough is too sticky and sticks to the side without forming a ball, then add another tablespoon or two of flour as needed.
Continue mixing with a dough hook for about 5 minutes until the dough is soft and stretchy. After mixing, take the dough out and lightly knead a couple of times on the counter to bring it together into a smooth ball.
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Drizzle a little more oil on top of the dough and rub it all over the dough. Cover with cling film or a tea towel and then set in a warm place to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours until double in size.
Shape the rolls
Spray a 9" by 13" baking dish with non-stick spray. Punch it down to deflate completely. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a small ball and arrange in the prepared baking dish. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm spot.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk the remaining egg and brush over the rolls. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked. Let cool briefly before serving.
Make the whipped spice butter
In a mixing bowl, whip the softened butter for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy in texture. Add the brown sugar, spices, and kosher salt and beat until combined. The butter can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Allow to come up to room temperature before serving.
Serve the Soft Pumpkin Rolls
Gently tear the rolls apart. The pumpkin rolls can be served with either plain butter or the whipped spice butter. Enjoy!
Spread the Enchantment
Soft Pumpkin Rolls
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- pinch sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 eggs divided
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus extra
Whipped Spice Butter
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
Instructions
- Heat ½ cup of water to between 105°F and 115°F. Add the sugar and the active dry yeast. Stir briefly and then set aside for the yeast to activate. When the yeast is bubbly and risen, after about 5 minutes, proceed with the recipe.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the pumpkin, honey, melted butter, one beaten egg, and the yeast mixture. Add the flour and salt and attach the dough hook.
- Mix, using the dough hook, until the dough starts to come together. Scrape down the sides occasionally to encourage the dough to come together. If the dough is too sticky and sticks to the side without forming a ball, add more flour a tablespoon at a time.
- Continue mixing with a dough hook for about 5 minutes until the dough is soft and stretchy. After mixing, take the dough out and lightly knead a couple of times on the counter to bring it together into a smooth ball.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Drizzle a little oil on top of the dough and rub it all over. Cover with cling film or a tea towel and then set in a warm place to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours until double in size.
- Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with non-stick spray. Punch the dough down and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a small ball and arrange in the prepared baking dish. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm spot.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk the remaining egg and brush over the rolls. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked. Let cool briefly before serving.
Whipped Spice Butter
- In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, spices, and kosher salt. Whip the butter for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy in texture. The butter can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Allow to come up to room temperature before serving.
- Serve the rolls with the whipped spice butter and enjoy!
These rolls are fantastic! So fluffy and exactly what a dinner roll should be. The pumpkin flavor is not pronounced as they stated but the golden color is stunning! This will be a continuing recipe in our house. Thank you for all of the awesome recipe content and LOTR love!
Thanks so much Lauren! It's so lovely to hear that you enjoyed them 🙂
What oil do you use on top of these?
Do you mean on the finished rolls? They get their shine from adding an egg wash before baking. The only oil I used in this recipe was a very small amount rubbed over the dough before rising. This is to keep the dough from drying out. I typically use olive or vegetable oil. Hope that helps!
Love this recipe so much. Worked + tastes good
Thanks Jessica, we're delighted that it worked well for you 🙂
Absolutely love this recipe! I made it last year and would love to make them this year but wondering if you have a separate recipe to omit the pumpkin? I *love* the pumpkin but it's not everyone else's cup of tea. Since pumpkin normally adds so much moisture, wondering if you have a suggestion for a swap to keep them just as soft and pillowy but as regular old dinner rolls.
Hi Kayla, I'm so glad you enjoy these, they're a favourite of ours this time of year too! As for a substitute, I'm thinking cooked and mashed potato might be a good alternative and usually make for very soft rolls. The only concern is that there probably isn't as much moisture in the potatoes as there is in the pumpkin. I would start by adding a little less flour just in case, you can always add more flour as needed. Hope that helps!
Hello! Are these able to be frozen and then reheated? How far in advance can the whipped butter be made, and kept in the fridge (or freezer?)
Also, do you think these could be made in an air fryer on bake setting?
Thank you!
Hi Andrew, yes you can certainly freeze these and warm them up later. The whipped butter can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or for up to 3 to 4 months in the freezer. I find that compound butters do not last as long at room temperature as regular butter does. I would allow the butter to come up to room temperature before serving as it will get hard in the fridge. As for the air fryer, I don't actually have one so I'm not sure how well it would work in there. Hope that helps!
These were easy to make and delicious! Perfect for serving with fall soups!
Thanks Emily! So happy you enjoyed it!