These whole wheat pumpkin dinner rolls are soft and fluffy and so easy to make. Plus, they are amazing piled with turkey or ham for lunch!
Do you like making homemade bread and dinner rolls?
I really do, but I’ll admit that I definitely go through phases where I make all of our bread, and then other times where I won’t make it at all. My kids actually get all complain-y when that happens.
Questions of "when are you going to make bread again, mom?" start to be heard every time I pick up more bread at the store. Spoiled kids.
They’re right though – homemade bread and rolls are so much better then the store-bought kind. And they’re not that hard to make – pretty easy, actually.
It’s just a matter of taking the time to do it.
There’s not all that much hands-on time involved, but you do need to do a little planning when you make bread so you’re home and able to do the next step when the rising times are finished.
My problem is that I often think of making bread or dinner rolls at times when I need to be out of the house at the same time I would need to be shaping the dough – so then I don’t make it at all.
Clearly I need to be better at the planning stage of things around here.
At any rate – when I do make bread at home, we are all very happy about it.
These whole wheat pumpkin dinner rolls are one of my favourites. They’re super soft dinner rolls, even with half whole wheat flour in them. The pumpkin keeps them soft and they don’t seem as dense as a lot of other whole wheat dinner rolls are.
Soft and fluffy and easy to make, they are the perfect accompaniment to your holiday dinner table.
Or anytime really – if you’re like me, and happily use pumpkin all year round!
Are you tired of the dinner routine?
Stuck in a rut or looking for fun new recipes to try?
Our Facebook group is growing every day! If you haven’t joined yet, we invite you to come check it out and join the fun.
You can ask for recipe ideas, talk about cooking techniques, or get help figuring out the right new pan set for you. If you’ve already joined, invite a friend along!
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Pumpkin Puree
- 2 teaspoons Instant Yeast
- 3 tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
- 1/2 cup Warm Water about 110°F
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons Butter melted
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 3 cups Whole Wheat Flour 15oz, 425g
- 3-4 cups All-Purpose Flour 15-20oz, 425-567g
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a dough hook, or in a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients, but only add 3 cups of the all-purpose flour to start.
- Once the dough comes together, check if it is clearing the sides of the bowl, if not add more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until it clears the sides of the bowl.
- Knead for 5-6 minutes with the machine, 8-10 minutes by hand, until the dough is smooth.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and move the dough into it, rolling it around to coat it with the oil. It will be very soft and tacky, but shouldn’t be overly sticky.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled.
- Transfer to a countertop sprayed with cooking spray.
- Using a sharp knife, or a dough scraper, cut the dough into 24 equal pieces, about 2.5-2.8oz each.
- Shape each piece into a ball, rolling it on the oiled countertop underneath your hand until it forms a uniform round ball.
- Place the shaped rolls on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
- Cover them with a tea towel and allow them to rise for about 45 minutes until they’re almost doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden.
- Move to a wire rack immediately to cool. Store in a sealed container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- If you prefer to use active dry yeast, replace the instant yeast with 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast and mix it with the warm water, buttermilk and maple syrup first, allowing it to get foamy before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- The amount of flour is 6-7 cups because with yeast breads, it can vary depending on humidity. I find it changes with the same recipe depending on the day. Start with 6 cups and if the dough is not clearing the sides of the bowl, add 1/4 cup at a time until it clears the sides of the bowl, then continue with the kneading. You don’t want to over flour the dough, or the rolls won’t be as soft and fluffy.
- The prep time doesn’t include rise times.