Tis the season for all things pumpkin. These dinner rolls rely on the humble can of pumpkin puree for softness, and bring out those fall flavors with a little sage, orange zest and a touch of honey. And a sprinkling of cheese for good measure. Perfect for upcoming holiday feasts, or to pair with a warm bowl of soup or stew for a satisfying autumn meal.
From AnkarsrumUSA recipe developer, Carmi Adams:
Pumpkin puree boosts the nutritional value, and brings a beautiful color to these rolls. However, the pumpkin flavor is minimal, so don’t worry if, like me, pumpkin isn’t really your thing.
A lot of the moisture in the dough comes from the pumpkin puree itself, so don’t be concerned if the other liquid amounts seem small.

This dough is a little bit sticky once mixed up. If you have ever worked with higher hydration doughs, or even sourdough, you know that sometimes bread dough is supposed to be sticky once mixed. This is ok. Do not be tempted to add more flour. Once the dough goes through the first rise/proof, it will be easier and less sticky to handle.

As you can see from the picture below, once the dough has risen, a lightly floured surface is all that is needed to make the dough easy to work with. For baking, a cake pan or pie pan can be used. This makes recipe makes 16 rolls, so two cake or pie pans will be needed.

Once the dough is portioned out, work with one portion at a time and roll into balls.

Cover and let rise again.

Bake and let cool about 15 minutes before serving.

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments about this recipe. I hope you enjoy pumpkin season. Happy baking!
Sage and Orange Pumpkin Rolls
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 2 1/2 hours
80 g. (1/3 cup) warm water
1 can (425 g./15 oz.) pumpkin puree (no added salt or sugar)
55 g. (1/4 cup) olive oil
63 g. (3 Tbsp.) honey
9 g. (2 1/4 tsp.) instant dry yeast
1.5 g. (1 1/2 tsp.) dried sage, rubbed not ground
fresh zest of 1 medium size orange
690 g. (5 3/4 cup) all purpose flour
8 g. (1 1/2 tsp.) kosher salt
For topping:
27 g. (2 Tbsp.) olive oil
14 g. (1/4 cup) finely grated parmesan
Grease 2 (9 inch) cake or pie pans. Set aside until ready to use.
Place the water, pumpkin puree, olive oil, honey and yeast in the stainless steel mixing bowl with the roller/scraper. Mix on medium speed (3 o’clock) to combine.
Reduce speed to low (1 o’clock), add in the sage, orange zest and slowly add in the flour and then the salt. Lock the arm in place about 1 inch away from the side of the bowl halfway through adding the flour in.
Once flour is mixed in, increase speed slightly (2 o’clock) and let knead for 15 minutes. This dough will be slightly sticky, do not be tempted to add more flour. Once kneaded, shape into a ball, cover and let rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 16 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Place 8 balls in each prepared pie pan, slightly spacing apart. Cover and let rise until doubled, approximately 45-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350º.
Brush tops with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. If serving later, remove rolls from pans after 15 minutes and place on a cooling rack.
Yield: 16 rolls
WHOLE WHEAT VERSION

-Replace all purpose flour with an equal amount of whole wheat flour. If milling at home, use a hard wheat.
-Follow instructions above.