Me? Well, I’ve got the rolls covered!
Thanksgiving for us has varied greatly for the past few years. The first year we were hitched, we had Thanksgiving at my parents’ house, so my mom and dad were in charge of the food (and I was in charge of the eating, natch). The following year, we decided to host Thanksgiving, for both families, in our 700-square-foot apartment. It was chaotic and merry all at the same time, and hot. So hot. Twelve people and a not well-ventilated kitchen with the stove and oven going all day in a small space makes for an Amazon-like atmosphere, just FYI.
The next year, we hosted Thanksgiving at our place again but for half the people, which was still merry but less chaotic and Amazon-like. And the year after that, we spent Thanksgiving with Elliott’s fam at their place.
For a few of those years we’ve been in charge of the turkey and some sides and/or desserts. But as much as I love ALL OF THE THANKSGIVING FOOD (seriously, last meal? Thanksgiving dinner), my favorite thing to make for the holiday is rolls. Because carbs.
There are a few reasons why I love these rolls. 1) They have pumpkin and autumn spices and dried cranberries and pecan bits in them, so they taste like a fall flavor explosion in your mouth (and they make your kitchen smell that way, too), 2) They’re super-soft on the inside with an ever-so-slight chew on the outside, which in my opinion is the primo, grade-A, top-choice consistency for rolls, and 3) They’re going to look pretty on the Thanksgiving table. And I’m such a sucker for good food presentation.
Pumpkin Cranberry Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups bread flour, divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 packet
- ¾ cup warm water, about 110 degrees F
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 egg
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions
- In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, stir 1 cup flour, yeast and warm water until combined.
- In a separate bowl, stir together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, salt, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and egg until combined.
- Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir to combine.
- Using a wooden spoon or dough hook attachment, stir in remaining flour 1 cup at a time until a dough forms. Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed OR knead on medium speed with dough hook attachment 5-6 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed.
- Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour in a warm place until doubled.
- When dough is doubled, punch down and knead in cranberries and pecans. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a 12-inch log. Fold each log in half, then twist both ends once, pinching seams to seal. Place twists on 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
- Cover baking sheets with tea towels or lightly greased plastic wrap. Let twists rise until puffy, about 45 minutes.
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Uncover twists; brush with beaten egg. Bake 15 minutes until golden brown and baked through. Cool slightly before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Disclosure: I received compensation from Red Star Yeast for recipe development purposes. All opinions are my own.
Jen — I would bake them completely, then place them in plastic bags and put them in the freezer. A few hours before you plan to serve them, I’d take them out of the bags and let them come to room temperature, uncovered, on the countertop. If you want them warm, you can also put them in a 250 degree oven for a few minutes once they’ve returned to room temp. Hope that helps!
Do you have any advice for making these in advance? 3-4 days in advance? Great recipe!
I’m also Team Thanksgiving Dinner Rolls. I could probably do without the turkey and just have rolls and sides. I can’t wait to give these a try!
These look so darn good. I definitely want to make a batch next time the in-law folks come over… fresh bread wins heaps of points! It’s not fall over here but I’m still loving the barrage of pumpkin posts from the US at the moment. I am learning so much about pumpkin versatility, it’s pretty amazing! xx
I want to come bake with you. Amazin.
Yes hooray for carbs! No better way to celebrate occasions like Thanksgiving than with all kinds of carbs. And these rolls look so soft and inviting. If only I can get over my fear of yeast, I would make these.
I just spent a very fun evening making these to see if they were Thanksgiving worthy. I had a little trouble with the twist. Only two turned out as pretty as yours, but my oh my did they ever taste yummy! The maple syrup gives it just enough, but not too much, sweetness. The cranberries give it a tanginess, and the pecans give it some texture. The pumpkin and spices just bring it all together. I totally skipped dinner and ate 3 twists instead. There is no telling how many I’m going to eat tomorrow. Luckily, I can take some to work. I can’t wait to make them again at Thanksgiving. You created a masterpiece. And now my family will think I have, too! Thanks.
I’m a crazy mega Thanksgiving planner, and these will be happening for sure this year!
These are a serious upgrade from traditional Thanksgiving rolls. In fact I’ll skip dinner if I can just have these.
Since it’s Thanksgiving, I’m always looking for blogs that will give me plenty of ideas. My friend just told me about “Cooking With Mr. C.” on Facebook (also a blog). I just “Liked” his page. He dedicates November for all Thanksgiving ideas. I was hoping I may find some things on your blog this season too. Alana