Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

I haven’t yet met anyone who doesn’t like a good cinnamon roll.  And even if you’re not a big pumpkin fan, I think you’ll like these.   The pumpkin flavor is subtle, and the pumpkin makes these extra moist and rich.

The recipe is simple, so if you already have a favorite cinnamon roll recipe, just substitute pumpkin for some of the milk or water called for, and you’re all set.

This recipe is adapted from one that King Arthur Flour printed in their Baker’s Catalogue a year or two (maybe more?) ago.

Dough:

1 cup canned pumpkin (you can substitute homemade, but you’ll likely need to reduce the amount of water you use)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup softened butter

2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups whole wheat bread flour (I have successfully used both hard red and white wheat.  The white will yield a lighter color and mellow flavor)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

3 T. brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. instant yeast

Filling:

1/4 cup softened butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup dried chopped fruit (I used raisins)

I use my Bosch mixer to make the dough, but you can also knead by hand.  Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and just dry enough to be workable.  (Adding too much flour will make tough, heavy rolls.)  Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours or until nearly doubled in size.

Roll out into a rectangle shape (about 1/4 – 1/2-inch thick) and fill:  first spread with butter, then sprinkle with the brown sugar and dried fruit.  Roll into a log.  I like to “seal” the dough shut by putting a little water along the edge of dough.  That keeps them from unrolling as they rise.

A 9×13-inch baking pan is just the right size for this recipe, and I normally cut the dough into 12 slices, but 8 mammoth rolls fit equally well.  Grease your pan first.

There are several ways to cut through the dough, so do what works best for you.  What I do is use a large but thin-bladed (Santoku) knife, quickly and firmly cutting down through the dough (no sawing).  Make your first cut in the middle of the log, then your next two halfway from there and so on.  It’s much easier to get even sizes doing it that way than by starting at one end.

You can see that there will be plenty of space around the rolls when you first put them in the pan.  Allow them to rise for about an hour or until puffy.  You can also refrigerate them overnight and bake the next morning, which is what I normally do.

There are 8 super-size rolls in this 9x13 pan, though you can only see 6.

Bake in preheated 350-375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.  The rolls will continue to rise as they bake, filling in all the gaps, as you see.  Cool slightly then glaze or frost with a simple milk/butter/powdered sugar glaze, if desired.  Serve warm.