Bring a cozy touch to any fall or holiday table with these savory pumpkin buns. Made with real pumpkin and fresh rosemary, they bake golden for a flavorful dinner roll.
Â
These savory pumpkin buns are soft, fragrant, and just slightly sweet from a touch of honey. The pumpkin gives the dough a beautiful golden color and tender texture, while fresh rosemary and olive oil bring out a gentle, earthy flavor.Â
They remind me a little of my pumpkin focaccia bread, but lighter and fluffier, yet share the same warm, rustic flavor. These pumpkin dinner rolls are wonderful served with soup or roast dinners, and are a lovely seasonal twist on my soft dinner rolls or double cheese buns.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy yeast dough: These pumpkin herb dinner rolls are simple to make with a soft, smooth dough that bakes up beautifully light and golden.
- Warm and fragrant: You’ll love these pumpkin buns just as much as sweeter pumpkin recipes like my pumpkin bread, they have the same cozy aroma but with a delicious savory flavor.
Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin purée: Use canned or homemade pumpkin purée for the best texture and flavor. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling, it has added sugar and spices that will change the flavor and texture of the dough.
- Milk: Whole or 2% milk adds richness and helps activate the yeast for a soft, fluffy dough.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast gives consistent results just be sure it’s fresh and bubbly before using.
- Rosemary: Finely chopped fresh rosemary adds flavor and fragrance to every bite.
- Honey: A touch of honey adds gentle sweetness that perfectly balances the savory flavor.
- Olive oil: Keeps the crumb tender and enhances the herbal notes.
- Flour: All-purpose or bread flour both work, bread flour gives a chewier texture, while all-purpose stays slightly softer.
- Salt: Essential for balance and flavor.
- Pumpkin seeds: Add on top of the pumpkin buns for a pretty finish and a bit of crunch.
How to Make Savory Pumpkin Buns
Start by activating the yeast in warm milk until it becomes foamy, this means it’s ready to use. In a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin purée and finely chopped rosemary so the flavor is evenly distributed.
To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, honey, yeast mixture, and pumpkin mixture. Using the dough hook, knead until the dough starts to come together. Drizzle in the olive oil and salt, then continue kneading until it’s smooth, soft, and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn it once to coat, and cover. Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size.Â
Gently punch down the dough, divide it into six even pieces, and shape each one into a smooth ball. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover again, and let rise until puffy.
Before baking, brush the pumpkin buns lightly with milk and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. Bake until golden and cooked through.Â
The savory pumpkin buns should turn a deep golden brown when done perfect for serving warm with butter or a drizzle of olive oil.
expert baking tips
- Check the dough texture: If the dough feels too sticky, add a bit more flour a tablespoon at a time. If it’s too dry, add a little more milk until soft and elastic.
- Use fresh yeast: Make sure your yeast foams after a few minutes in warm milk. If it doesn’t, start over with new yeast so the dough rises properly.
- Don’t rush the rise (but don’t overproof): The dough should just double in size, letting it go too long can cause the buns to deflate or bake dense instead of light and fluffy.
- Watch the bake:Â The initial high heat helps them rise quickly and form a golden crust, while the lower temperature bakes them through evenly.
- Cool on a rack:Â Move the baked pumpkin buns to a wire rack right away so the bottoms stay light and crisp instead of softening.
Variations
- Butter instead of olive oil: For a richer, more enriched dough, replace the olive oil with melted, cooled butter.
- Try other herbs: Fresh thyme, sage, or even a mix of Italian herbs can be used in place of rosemary for a different flavor.
- Add Parmesan: Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top before baking or mix a few tablespoons into the dough for a subtle cheesy flavor.
- Use your milk of choice: Whole milk gives the softest texture, but 2% or even dairy free milk will work if that’s what you have on hand.
- Swap the sweetener: You can use maple syrup or brown sugar instead of honey for a slightly deeper sweetness.
- Shape options: For a festive touch, tie small pieces of kitchen twine around each roll before baking to form pumpkin-shaped buns, or place the dough balls close together in a round pan for pull-apart dinner rolls.
Flavorful, and irresistibly savory, these pumpkin buns are sure to become a new fall favorite — if you try them, let me know how they turned out!
- 5 tablespoons milk (whole or 2%) lukewarm 75g
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1¼ cups pumpkin puree (nothing added) 300g
- ½-1 teaspoon rosemary finely chopped
- 4 cups all purpose/bread flour 500g
- ¾ tablespoon honey 15g
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 15g
- 1½ teaspoons salt
EXTRAS
- 3-4 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
-
In a small bowl add the milk and sprinkle the yeast on top, let sit 5-10 minutes, then stir to combine.
-
In a small bowl mix together the pumpkin puree and the rosemary.
-
In the stand mixer add the flour, honey, yeasat and pumpkin mixture. Knead until shaggy, add the oil and salt and knead 7 minutes or until smooth and pulls away from the bowl. Move to a flat surface and form into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, rotate the dough, cover with plastic wrap, place in a warm draft free area and let rise until doubled, approximately 1-2 hours.
-
Move the dough to a flat area and divide into 6 parts, shape each part into a small ball. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cover and let rise until doubled, approximately 1 hour.
-
Pre-heat oven to 420F / 215C.
-
Gently brush the buns with a little milk then sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds, bake for about 3-5 minutes then lower the temperature to 350F / 180C and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes or until baked through and internal temperature will be 190-210F / 88-99C. Immediately place the rolls on a wire rack to cool before serving. Enjoy!
How to store the pumpkin buns?
While these are best enjoyed fresh, you can store leftover rolls in an airtight container or bread bag at room temperature for up to 2–3 days. To refresh them, warm them in the microwave or wrap them in foil at a low temperature in the oven.
Once completely cooled, place the buns in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then warm in the oven until soft and fragrant again.
recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. Just keep in mind the dough may rise a little faster, so watch it closely to avoid over proofing. I still like to check that the yeast is active before mixing, it’s an easy way to ensure a good rise.
This usually happens when the yeast has expired or the milk was too hot and killed it. Make sure your milk is just warm to the touch, not hot. I often place my covered dough in the oven (turned off) with the light on, or on top of the refrigerator, this helps create a perfect warm, draft-free spot for rising.
While these are best enjoyed fresh, you can store leftover rolls in an airtight container or bread bag at room temperature for up to 2–3 days. To refresh them, warm them in the microwave or wrap them in foil at a low temperature in the oven.
Yes! Once completely cooled, place the buns in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then warm in the oven until soft and fragrant again.
Related
It’s All About Pasta
Amazing pasta recipes to make your mouth water!
Authentic Italian Desserts
75 Traditional Desserts Made Easy