When I think of pumpkins, the first thing that comes to my mind is the humble and sweet roasted pumpkin, served around Christmas, with an optional addition of cinnamon. However, pumpkin is quite versatile, and other than desserts, it is useful for a whole range of dishes, as well as pastries and breads.
These rolls come together quite quickly, the dough is soft and very easy to work with, and even though they are glazed in dandelion honey, they are just ever so slightly sweet, and perfect for hearty stews and soups. And it is worth noting that, depending on the variety of pumpkin you use, you might need to add a tablespoon or two of additional flour; but do keep the dough as soft as possible, as that will make the baked rolls nice and soft, too.
Ingredients
For the dough
300 grams plain flour
20 grams fresh yeast
100 ml warm water
120 grams pumpkin purée
45 ml vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
For the glaze
30 grams dandelion honey
30 grams vegan block butter, softened
Preparation
Crumble the yeast into a small bowl, pour in the warm water, and briefly whisk, just to dissolve the yeast. Sift the flour into a large bowl, make a well in the centre, and add in the dissolved yeast, along with the pumpkin purée, oil, salt, and ginger. Mix everything very well with a wooden spoon until a very soft dough forms. Turn the dough out on a floured surface, and knead it by hand, for at least 5 minutes, until elastic. Weigh the dough, and divide it into twelve equal pieces, then shape each piece into a sphere.
Place the rolls in a round baking pan (23 cm) lined with baking parchment, mist them generously with lukewarm water, cover them with a kitchen towel, and let them rise for about an hour. Just before baking, mist them once again with water, and bake in a preheated oven, at 200°C (400°F), for about 12-15 minutes, until golden. While they are baking, whisk together the soft vegan butter and the honey. Once they are baked and still hot from the oven, brush them generously with the glaze. Yields 12 dinner rolls.
