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!
How to make Whole Wheat Pumpkin Dinner Rolls:
- Make sure not to over flour the dough. Start with the lower amount of flour listed and only add more if necessary for the dough to clear the sides of the bowl. I have a great step by step tutorial for making bread if you’d like to see what perfectly floured dough should look like – How To Make Bread.
- I love my Bosch stand mixer (I have an older version of that one) for making bread dough. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, that is the easiest way to mix up this dough, but you can also knead it by hand if you like, it will just take a little longer.
- These dinner rolls freeze very well in ziplock bags after they cool if you want to make them ahead of time.
Here are some more great dinner roll recipes for you:
- The Best Dinner Rolls
- Hawaiian Dinner Rolls
- Whole Wheat and Honey Parker House Rolls
- Homemade Breadsticks
- Soft Flatbread Recipe
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
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!
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
- 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.
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 prep time doesn’t include rise times.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 rollAmount Per Serving: Calories: 142Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 206mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g
Nutrition Information is estimated based on ingredients used and may not be exact.
I’ve also shared this Pumpkin Dinner Rolls recipe over on Food Fanatic.
Archana
Tuesday 28th of November 2017
What can i use instead of pure maple syrup ? Your bread or buns look lovely
Stacey
Wednesday 29th of November 2017
I haven't tried anything else in these, but honey should be a good substitute, or even granulated sugar if you want, although I think honey would be better.
Sharon
Saturday 1st of November 2014
How would you go about freezing these for later?
stacey
Saturday 1st of November 2014
Hi Sharon, I just put them in a plastic bag to freeze after baking. I have bread bags that I found at a specialty store which are a great size for it, but zip locks work well too, you just can't fit as many in them. Just make sure whatever bag you use is sealed. Then take them out about 3 hours before you want them and let them defrost at room temperature. You can also defrost them in the microwave, but they may dry out a bit. Or if you're a little short on time, defrost them at least partially at room temp or in the microwave, then wrap in tin foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes and they'll taste fresh baked. Thanks for stopping by!