Not-your-grandma’s Pumpkin Rolls
By Megan Berger of The Berger Feed, @thebergerfeed
Not-your-grandma’s Pumpkin Rolls
By Megan Berger of The Berger Feed, @thebergerfeed
Yield/Serves:
8-10 Rolls
A fall spin on classic cinnamon rolls, this milk bread dough uses the tangzhong method—a simple flour-and-milk paste that creates an ultra-soft, fluffy crumb that stays fresh longer. Rolled with pumpkin spice brown sugar butter and finished with a silky pumpkin cream cheese icing, these rolls are pillowy, decadent, and filled with cozy autumn flavor.
Tangzhong
- 170 g whole milk (¾ cup minus 1 tbsp)
- 36 g bread flour (¼ cup)
Dough
- 226 g whole milk, cold (1 cup)
- 450 g bread flour (3 cups + 1 tbsp)
- 9 g salt (2 ¼ tsp)
- 11 g instant yeast (1 tbsp)
- 37 g sugar (2 tbsp + 2 ½ tsp)
- 85 g unsalted butter, room temp (6 tbsp)
Pumpkin Butter Filling
- 1 ¼ cup pumpkin purée (300 g)
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp (113 g)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed (150 g)
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground allspice
- Pinch of ground cloves
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ½ tsp Morton kosher)
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened (113 g)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (56 g), softened
- ¼ cup pumpkin purée (60 g)
- <
Make the Tangzhong
- Combine the milk and flour in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture becomes thick and paste-like (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Make the Dough
- Place the Tangzhong in the stand mixer bowl. Add all dough ingredients except the butter. Mix with a spatula to roughly combine ingredients (dough will be shaggy).
- Place the bowl on the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment and knead on low speed. Continue mixing until the dough passes the windowpane test, approximately 12-15 minutes (take a small piece of the dough, stretch it with your fingers, and see if you can see light through without it tearing).
- With the mixer on low, add the softened butter in 3 stages, mixing between each addition. Once all the butter is added, continue kneading until it’s fully incorporated, about 2–3 minutes more. You’ll likely need to pause occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl and press the butter in. At first, the butter will only coat the outside of the dough, but eventually, it will incorporate.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Set aside to rise until about doubled in size, about an hour and a half.
Make the Pumpkin Butter Filling
- While the dough is rising, make the filling.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook pumpkin purée for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until reduced to around 150–175 g and thickened. It should darken slightly and lose excess moisture. Cool to room temperature.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter and brown sugar for 2–3 minutes, until lightened and smooth. Add the reduced pumpkin, spices, vanilla, and salt. Beat until cohesive and smooth.
Shape the Rolls
- Grease a 4-quart baking dish (about 11¾” x 8” x 2½”) or line with parchment. You can also substitute a 9x13 pan.
- On a lightly floured surface, turn out the risen dough and roll into a 12x14” rectangle. Spread the pumpkin filling evenly over the surface.
- Starting on the long edge, roll the dough up tightly into a log. Trim off both ends with a sharp serrated knife. Then, using either your k