Sourdough pumpkin buns

With all the pumpkin vibe going on and just simple love of the pumpkin dinner rolls (definitely a favorite in our house) I thought to transform the basic sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls into little pumpkin look alikes. They are just so cute when baked, and with a bit of butter and jam, quite irresistible.

The Recipe

The recipe formula is the same as for the sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls. Follow the first 3 steps, i.e. until the bulk fermentation is finished. Place the dough in the fridge for cold fermentation overnight.

This is very delicate dough and it can be challenging to shape when it is properly proofed and warm. This is why it is much easier to shape in the morning when the dough is cold and firmer.

How to Shape the Pumpkin Buns

The process of shaping involves several steps as follows:

1. Take the dough out from the fridge onto a clean working surface.
2. Divide the dough so that each bun weights about 65g (2.3oz)
3. Shape each measured dough piece into a round ball. The easiest way to do this is to place the dough on a clean surface without any flour. Dust the palm of your hand with flour and shake the excess off. Cup the hand and place on top of the dough. With medium to fast speed make circles with your hand in a counterclockwise motion, cupping the dough slightly underneath with your small finger and the thumb. After about 5 revolutions you should have a nice round ball. If you feel you hand sticks to the dough dust it with a bit more flour. Just make sure there is no flour on the bottom of the working surface as this will prevent a nice round closed shape of the bun.
4. Dust the bun with flour.
5. Take a 64cm long cooking twine, fold in half to find the middle and place it on top of you bun. Flip gently the bun so that the top is on the bottom with the twine underneath. Criss-cross the twine and make another flip of the bun. Criss-cross the twine opposite of the previous one. Repeat the process two more times. Finally, tie a knot on top of the bun. Cut the excess twine with scissors.
6. Place the bun on the baking sheet and cover with plastic foil to prevent from drying.

Final Proofing of the Dough

Proof the dough for 2 hours in the ambient temperature of around 23ºC(74ºF).

Baking the Sourdough Pumpkin Buns

Preheat the oven to 220ºC(430ºF).

Right before baking make the egg wash by whisking one egg and 1/8 tsp of date syrup until there is no trace of date syrup left. Gently brush each of the pumpkin buns and making sure there is not excess egg wash as it will be visible after baked.

Place the baking tray in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 180ºC(350ºF). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the buns start to take on color.

Cool to room temperature.

Serving the buns

Once the buns have cooled, gently cut the top cooking twine and peel carefully along the bun.

Storing

The buns are best eaten on the day they are baked. However, they keep very well for several days if placed in the bread box. After several days, they “come alive” if they are toasted slightly.

No ratings yet

Sourdough Pumpkin Buns

Transform the basic sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls into little pumpkin look alikes. They are just so cute when baked, and with a bit of butter and jam, quite irresistible.

Prep Time1 hour hr 37 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Fermentation17 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time19 hours hrs 32 minutes mins

Servings 20 buns

Calories: 171.5 kcal

Print Recipe Email Recipe

Equipment & Tools

• Baking pan 25cm x 30cm x 6cm (9.8in x 11.8in x 2.4in)
• Stand mixer with the hook attachment
• Kitchen scale
• Dough whisk (optional)
• Cooking twine

INGREDIENTS

  

1x2x3x

Sourdough starter

• 30 g mature sourdough starter
• 110 g water (non-chlorinated)
• 110 g T00 flour (organic)

The dough

• 85 g whole milk (cold from the fridge)
• 270 g pumpkin puree (Butternut)
• 1 egg (~ 55g)
• 35 g maple syrup (organic)
• 250 g sourdough starter (mature)
• 500 g T00 flour (organic)
• 12 g kosher salt
• 85 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 small egg (for the egg wash)

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the sourdough starter

• Place the clean glass jar on the kitchen scale and measure the mature sourdough starter. Press tare and measure water directly into the jar (Note 1).

  Mix until there are no visible lumps of the sourdough starter.
• Press tare on the kitchen scale and measure the needed amount of flour directly into the jar.

  Mix until there are no dry patches of flour visible and the dough is uniform in structure.

  Clean the sides of the jar, level the dough, cover, and place in a warm area (25°C; 77°F)
• Gather all the ingredients needed for the dough.

Initial dough mix

• Add whole milk, pumpkin puree, an egg, maple syrup, and sourdough starter to the bowl of a stand mixer.

  Using the dough whisk mix the ingredients until well incorporated.
• Sift in the flour and add the salt.

  Using a spatula combine the flour and the wet ingredients until there are no more flour bits visible.

  Cover and let it rest for one hour.

Forming the gluten

• Attach the bowl to the mixer and mix the dough on speed 4 (KitchenAid) until the sides of the bowl and the bottom come out clean (Note 2).

  This should take approximately 12-15 minutes.
• Start adding the butter incrementally, approximately 1 tbs at a time. As you add the butter the dough will noticeably soften.

  Continue mixing until again the sides and the bottom of the bowl are clean (Note 3)

  This should take approximately 6 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a clean lightly buttered bowl. Fold the dough several times using the coil method to form a ball. The desired dough temperature should be around 25°C (77°F).

  Cover the dough and set aside.

Bulk fermentation

• Rest for 1 hour.

  Fold the dough twice using the coil method. Cover and set aside. The desired dough temperature should be around 25°C (77°F).
• Rest for 1 hour.

  Fold the dough twice using the coil method. Cover and set aside. The desired dough temperature should be around 25°C (77°F).
• Let the dough rest for another 2 hours.

Shaping the rolls (next day)

• Take the dough out from the fridge onto a clean working surface.
• Divide the dough into 20 pieces each weighing 65g (2.3oz). From each dough piece form a ball using the dough scraper (Note 4)
• Shape each measured dough piece into a round ball. The easiest way to do this is to place the dough on a clean surface without any flour. Dust the palm of your hand with flour and shake the excess off. Cup the hand and place on top of the dough. With medium to fast speed make circles with your hand in a counterclockwise motion, cupping the dough slightly underneath with your small finger and the thumb. After about 5 revolutions you should have a nice round ball. If you feel you hand sticks to the dough dust it with a bit more flour. Just make sure there is no flour on the bottom of the working surface as this will prevent a nice round closed shape of the bun.
• Dust the bun with flour.
• Take a 64cm long cooking twine, fold in half to find the middle and place it on top of you bun. Flip gently the bun so that the top is on the bottom with the twine underneath. Criss-cross the twine and make another flip of the bun. Criss-cross the twine opposite of the previous one. Repeat the process two more times. Finally, tie a knot on top of the bun. Cut the excess twine with scissors.
• Place the bun on the baking sheet and cover with plastic foil to prevent from drying.
  

Final proof

• Proof the dough for 2 hours in the ambient temperature of around 23ºC(74ºF) (Note 5)
• Preheat the oven to 220ºC(430ºF).

Baking

• Right before baking make the egg wash by whisking one egg and 1/8 tsp of date syrup until there is no trace of date syrup left. Gently brush each of the pumpkin buns and making sure there is not excess egg wash as it will be visible after baked.
• Place the baking tray in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 180ºC(350ºF). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the buns start to take on color. Cool to room temperature.
• Once the buns have cooled, gently cut the top cooking twine and peel carefully along the bun.

Serving and storing

• The buns are best eaten on the day they are baked. However, they keep very well for several days if placed in the bread box. After several days, they “come alive” if they are toasted slightly.

NOTES

1. You can measure the wet ingredients separately as it can be a bit of a challenge to take out the extras from the bowl.
2. It is essential to form the gluten bonds before adding the butter as this will ensure we don’t end up with a cake-like dough structure when baked, but instead with an airy and light crumb. Note that if the butter is added before the gluten is formed, it blocks the proper formation of the gluten. The butter kind of coats the gluten forming proteins (gliadin and glutenin) and prevents them from forming a nice bond.
3. The dough will soften as the butter is added. By the time the mixing process is finished the dough should be soft, silky, shiny, and very extensible, but not breaking.
4. Use a tiny bit of olive oil to brush the dough scraper and for your fingers if the dough is a bit sticky. Just make sure to not oil the dough as it will prevent it from forming the nice round shape. You can also brush the top of the kitchen scale with some butter to prevent the dough from sticking.
5. If it is warmer in your kitchen it will take less time or longer if it is colder.
6. Take care not to overbake the buns as they will become dry. It takes about 5 minutes longer to overbake them and they loose that bit of moisture. That extra moisture makes them extra delicious but they are in no way moist per se.

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!Tag @itacdonev and hashtag #aifoodieland on instagram!