Ingredients
Equipment
Method
For the dough:
- In a large bowl place the yeast, half of the sugar, whole milk and mix with a spoon. Let stand for 15 minutes for the yeast to activate.
- After it has rested, add the rest of the sugar, melted butter, egg, pumpkin puree and mix again.
- Add the flour with the salt, cinnamon powder and turmeric powder. Mix with the same spoon or using your hands until a sticky dough forms. Place the dough on the clean counter and knead by beating and folding it over itself for 10 minutes until it takes more shape.
- Knead for 10 more minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. It is important not to add more flour as the kneading is what will shape the dough (the whole kneading process can also be done in a mixer with the dough hook on).
- Once ready, form the dough into a ball and place it in a clean bowl with a little vegetable oil to prevent it from sticking. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 1 hour and a half to double in size.
To form the dinner rolls and to finish:
- Grease with a little butter or line a rectangular baking pan of about 15.80 inches xx 9.80 inches (40 cm x 25 cm) with parchment paper. Once the dough has doubled in size, place it on a clean, floured counter and divide it into 12 equal parts.
- Take a portion of dough and shape it into a ball by inserting your fingertips under it. Then, take the ball of dough with all the fingers of one hand and turn it over itself making firm circular movements with your hand.
- To shape the breads into pumpkins, take a long piece of butcher's twine and place it horizontally on a clean surface. Place a small ball of dough in the middle point of the string. Take the edges of the string, cross them over the ball without tying a knot and then place them vertically on the same ball, forming a quadrant. Turn the ball over and cross the yarn again, but now place it diagonally, to form sixths. Turn the ball over one last time and cross the yarn diagonally, but this time on the opposite side, to form eighths. Tie the ends of the yarn in a final knot and cut off any excess yarn. It is important not to tie the knot too tight, so that the bread has room to grow.
- Repeat the same process with the remaining dough balls. Place the formed dinner rolls in the pan, at least 5 cm apart from each other. Cover the pan with kitchen plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the dinner rolls rise again for 1 1/2 hours until they double in size.
- Preheat the oven to 374º F (190° C). Separately, in a small bowl mix the egg yolk with the tablespoon of milk and beat with a fork. Once the dinner rolls have doubled in size, brush them with the egg mixture using a kitchen brush and bake them for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Once ready, take the dinner rolls out of the oven, brush them with melted butter and let them cool for at least 15 minutes before eating. They keep perfectly at room temperature in a tightly closed plastic bag for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.