Pumpkin Sourdough Bread Rolls
These soft and easy-to-pull-apart pumpkin sourdough bread rolls are bound to be the centerpiece of your next dinner party! These autumn-themed rolls are both beautiful and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
Levain
- 40 g active sourdough starter
- 40 g whole milk cold
- 40 g bread flour
- 10 g granulated sugar
Tangzhong
- 100 g whole milk
- 20 g bread flour
Main dough
- 310 g bread flour
- 20 g brown sugar
- 7 g sea salt
- 40 g whole milk cold
- 55 g pure pumpkin purée homemade or store-bought
- 70 g eggs 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
- 130 g levain
- all the tangzhong
- 30 g unsalted butter softened, in cubes
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
Toppings
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 9 almonds for the stalks
Instructions
Levain
- Mix active sourdough starter, flour, sugar, and cold milk in a bowl. Cover and rise in a warm spot (ideally at 78°F/26°C) for 4 hours or until doubled in size. You want the levain to be active but not overly sour and liquid.40 g active sourdough starter, 40 g whole milk, 40 g bread flour, 10 g granulated sugar
Tangzhong
- Mix flour and milk in a small pot. Heat up over medium heat. Stir until the mixture thickens and reaches a temperature of 150°F/65°C.100 g whole milk, 20 g bread flour
- Transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap that touches the entire surface of the tangzhong. Cool to room temperature before continuing with the main dough.
Main dough
- Add all ingredients, except butter, to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix until the dough comes together. Cover, and autolyse/rest for 30 minutes.310 g bread flour, 20 g brown sugar, 7 g sea salt, 40 g whole milk, 55 g pure pumpkin purée, 70 g eggs, 130 g levain, all the tangzhong
- Turn the mixer on again and knead at medium speed for 10 minutes. At this point, the dough should be sticky but slowly starting to release from the sides of the bowl.
- Slowly add in cubed, softened butter. Continue kneading at medium speed for 15-20 minutes until your dough passes the window-pane test.30 g unsalted butter
- Place the dough on your work surface and roughly pre-shape the dough into a round using your hands and a bench knife.
- Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover, and place in a warm spot, ideally at 78°F/26°C. Proof for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, transfer the bowl with dough to the fridge for an overnight rest or 8-12 hours.
Shape
- Cut 9 pieces of roughly 40 inches/1 meter food-safe kitchen twine. Add to a bowl and toss in neutral oil. Set aside.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and transfer it to a floured work surface. Divide it into 9 equal pieces, around 84 grams each.
- Roll the dough pieces into seamless rounds.
- Please see the images above for reference. Take a piece of oiled kitchen twine and run it between two fingers to remove excess oil. Find the center point of the twine and lay it on top of the dough ball. Flip the dough around, bring each end of the string up, and cross them over, like wrapping a present. Turn the dough over again, careful not to tighten the string around the dough too much, and repeat wrapping until the dough has eight sections.
- Place the shaped pumpkin bread rolls onto lined baking trays and cover them loosely with plastic wrap.
- Proof at around 72°F/22°C for 4-6 hours or until nice and fluffy looking.
Bake
- Preheat your oven to 390°F/200°C.
- Whisk together an egg and water to make the egg wash.1 egg, 1 tbsp water
- Lightly brush the bread rolls with egg wash.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Leave the rolls to cool for 5-10 minutes until cool enough to handle. Then, use a pair of scissors to carefully remove the twine.
- Brush melted butter over the warm bread rolls, and press an almond into the top of each roll to resemble the pumpkin stalk.2 tbsp melted butter, 9 almonds
- Serve with soup or your favorite casserole, or enjoy on its own with butter, honey, and a sprinkle of flaky salt.