Mini Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Rolls
These delightfully spiced sourdough rolls are 100% naturally leavened with sourdough starter. Crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, these rolls have just a hint of sweetness and would pair beautifully with dinner such as soup or a hearty fall salad. Or, toast them and slather with butter and a drizzle of honey for a delicious breakfast.
Sourdough + Pumpkin Spice? A beautiful trend is born
Pumpkin-shaped and flavored sourdough has been a popular trend on social media and the internet over the past few years, and it’s hardly a wonder why. Whether one large pumpkin loaf or several small rolls, these beautifully-shaped and photogenic breads can be the star of any fall meal. Though they look fancy, these mini pumpkin sourdough rolls are easy to make and shape with a few tips and tricks. They contain canned pumpkin, all your favorite pie spices, and just a bit of butter and sugar to make a soft roll that works in sweet and savory settings.
For ultimate flavor, go naturally leavened
This recipe uses sourdough starter to create an easy-to-handle, soft dinner roll dough that is naturally leavened with wild yeast. New to sourdough baking? Check out my guide on sourdough starter and try your hand at this Beginner’s Sourdough Loaf before tackling this bake.
The Dough
As with all good bread, the basis for success with this recipe is good dough development. This means creating an ultra-smooth, shiny dough that can handle being shaped into taught rolls before being tied with kitchen string to create the signature pumpkin shape. The dough contains milk, a bit of butter, and a bit of sugar, along with canned pumpkin and spices, so it is considered an enriched dough. Any dough that contains fat from milk, butter, oil, or eggs, is enriched, which creates a softer texture and more tender, sweet crumb.
Enriched doughs are more difficult to develop by hand, so I recommend using a stand mixer with a dough hook, if you have one. Keep the speed low—no higher than speed 2—and prepare to let the dough mix for 15-20 minutes. Contrary to popular belief, it’s hard to overwork dough in the stand mixer, so really let it go until the dough is fully smooth, very elastic, no longer sticky, and silky to the touch. There are no folds in this sourdough process, so once the dough is fully kneaded, it will bulk ferment at room temperature until it is noticeably bigger, and feels full of air when you gently press it. It may not double in size, but you will be able to see bubbles beneath the smooth surface of the dough and it will relax into the bowl you rest it in.
Bulk fermentation timing is very dependent on your ambient temperature and the strength of your starter, so be prepared to wait anywhere between 4-6 hours for it to be ready. You can place the dough in a warmer environment (around 75-80°F) to speed up the process, but anywhere too warm will cause the butter in the dough to melt and for the dough to become greasy.
Shaping the Mini Pumpkins
This pumpkin spice sourdough has fully bulk fermented and is ready to be used.
Once the dough is ready to be shaped, dump the dough onto a lightly floured or very lightly oiled surface and divide into 8 equal portions. Tuck the dough into a ball shape by stretching the sides in towards the center, then use the “claw method” to tighten each roll. Follow the method in this video by King Arthur Flour if you need help shaping rolls!
To shape the pumpkins, cut 24 10-inch long pieces of 100% cotton kitchen twine, and soak in a neutral oil. Remove three pieces of string and arrange in a cross pattern to create 6 even sections. Place a roll on the string, taught side up, then loosely tie the strings together at the top of the roll. Gently nudge the strings so that the sections are as even as possible, and resist the urge to tie the strings too tight.
If the string is digging into the roll, re-tie it so it gently rests on the surface. As the rolls go through their final proofing stage, they will expand into the strings, and they will further puff up as they bake.
After an overnight proof in the fridge, these rolls are ready to be baked. I like to bake them until they are just beginning to turn golden, which keeps the crust crisp and the interior moist and fluffy.
Once the rolls are cool enough to handle, use clean scissors to snip away and gently remove all the strings from the roll. Oiling the strings and tying them loosely should help to make the strings easy to release, but if any get stuck, gently pull them so as not to rip the bread. If you want to give these cute pumpkins a signature stem, use a pumpkin seed pressed into the top of the roll. A small piece of cinnamon stick can also be used, but should be removed before you enjoy the rolls.
Final thoughts
I’ve included a vegan option in the ingredients, so these rolls are accessible to many bread bakers. The spices are included by volume rather than by weight because the measurements are often too small for a food scale to pick up. In this case, volume is in fact more precise. At a hydration level of around 65%, this dough is silky and manageable, so beginner bread bakers shouldn’t be intimidated by the longer ingredients list. And though they do require an overnight proof in the fridge, this cold fermentation actually buys you a bit of wiggle room. You can remove the rolls about 10 hours in and bake them for breakfast, or allow them to rest until mid afternoon to have them ready by dinner. Use this flexibility to your advantage and have warm rolls whenever you want!
Blisters on the crust are an indication of great fermentation activity, and will provide that signature crackly crust that gives way to a soft, deeply hued and spiced crumb. With just a bit of planning, these rolls can be the star of any breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and make the perfect holiday side.
Dough Formula with Baker’s Percentagees
makes 8 rolls (double all quantities for 16 rolls)
| Ingredient | Quantity | Baker's Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| All purpose flour (see note) | 400 grams | 100% |
| Whole milk (or substitute plant-based milk) | 150 grams | 37.5% |
| Canned pumpkin purée | 110 grams | 27.5% |
| Sourdough starter (ripe) | 145 grams | 36.25% |
| Softened butter (or substitute shortening or vegan butter) | 20 grams | 5% |
| Granulated sugar | 20 grams | 5% |
| Salt | 8 grams | 2% |
| Ground cinnamon | 2 teaspoons | - |
| Ground ginger | 1 1/2 teaspoons | - |
| Ground nutmeg | 1 teaspoon | - |
| Ground cloves | 1 teaspoon | - |
| Ground turmeric (for color) | 1 teaspoon | - |
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Mini Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Rolls
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl. Knead with a dough hook on low speed (no higher than 2) for 15-20 minutes, until dough is soft, smooth, pliable, strong, and no longer sticky. If kneading by hand, prepare to work the dough for up to 30 minutes. If it becomes resistant to movement, cover with a damp cloth for 10 minutes and return to kneading until the dough is fully kneaded.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and allow to bulk ferment, covered, until visibly puffy, light to the touch, and evenly risen, between 4-6 hours at 75°F. It may not double in size but you will be able to feel and see that the dough has taken on air and has a webby texture underneath.
- While the dough rises, cut 24 pieces of unbleached, 100% cotton kitchen twine into 10 inch lengths. Place the string in a small dish of neutral oil to soak.
- Dump the dough onto a lightly floured or oiled surface and divide into 8 even pieces. Tuck the sides of each piece of dough towards the center, then turn the dough seam-side down onto the surface. Making a claw-shaped cage with your hands, roll the dough around in circles to tighten the dough into a round roll. (You can stop at this point and proceed to proof the rolls in the refrigerator overnight if you don't want to make pumpkins).
- Lay three oiled strings down on the surface in an even crossed pattern, then place a roll, taught side up, on the center point. Gently tie each string at the top of the roll, leaving a bit of slack. Repeat for remaining rolls using the remaining string.
- Place the tied rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with a large plastic bag or wrap, and refrigerate overnight or for up to 18 hours to complete the final proof.
- An hour before you’d like to bake the rolls, remove them from the refrigerator to warm up slightly. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the rolls in the oven, with the strings on, and bake until lightly golden, about 25-30 minutes. The interior of a roll should read above 200°F when fully baked.
- Cool rolls on a wire rack until you can handle them, then use clean kitchen scissors to snip and release all the strings. If any strings are resistant, gently tug them until they slide out, trying not to rip the bread. If desired, place a pumpkin seed on the top of each roll for a stem.
- Serve with butter and honey, or as an accompaniment to your favorite fall or winter meal.
Notes:
You will need an active sourdough starter for this recipe. If you do not have one, follow the instructions linked below to create one. (There is also a printable recipe card here)
Make next:
Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
Get the recipe for this fall favorite soup here.