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This recipe is based upon one found at foodess.com. They are a nice, homey fall treat.

The Dough:

3/4 cup milk, warmed
2-1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 cup + 1 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
6 cups flour
Oil, for the bowl

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment add milk, yeast, and 1 tsp. sugar. Stir it around a bit with a long spoon. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in remaining sugar, butter, eggs, and pumpkin puree. Add about 3 cups flour and run the mixer for about 5 minutes to build the gluten. Add flour in 1/2 to 1 cup increments, running the mixer in between additions, until the dough comes away from the side of the mixing bowl and forms a ball. It should spring back when touched and it should not be sticky. Don’t add too much flour or your bread will be dry and crumbly. Experience teaches you how it should feel at this stage.

Recipes always tell you to put the dough in an oiled, or greased, bowl and turn the dough over to make sure the top is also greased so that the cover will not stick to the dough while it is rising. I never do this. I just remove the dough hook and leave the dough in the mixer. I pop a cover (either plastic wrap or usually a silicone cover) on it and let rise. Prepare the filling while the dough is rising by mixing together the brown sugar and spices.

The Filling:

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Let dough rise until doubled in volume, a couple hours. Punch dough down. Turn dough onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick.

Prepare 2 9×13″ baking dishes by spraying with non-stick oil or greasing them.

Spread the dough with softened butter, to the edges of the dough. Sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar spice mixture.

Roll the dough from the long edge to form a log. Cut the log in half, then cut each half into 15 even-sized pieces. Place 15 pieces into each baking dish in three rows of 5. Cover each baking dish with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, another hour or so.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently remove covers and brush rolls with milk. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, but still soft.

The Icing:

4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4-6 Tbsp. buttermilk, or milk

Beat all ingredients, except buttermilk, until fluffy. Add buttermilk a tablespoon at a time until you get a good consistency for spreading. Ice the rolls however you like to do it. Pictured here I daubed each roll with a bit of icing.

Of course these finished rolls are best if served while still warm and the icing just oozes. Oh my goodness!

Note that I fit a slab of nine of these rolls into a freezer bag one time, before I frosted them. They froze well and were re-warmed deliciously.

P1040452