Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

By krystallondon

Ingredients

• 1 1 1 cup canned pumpkin or squash
• 2 2 2 large eggs
• 2 2 to 1/4 to 1/4 cup lukewarm water*
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup soft butter
• 2 1/2 2 1/2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 3/4 1 3/4 3/4 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup Baker’s Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
• 1 1 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, optional
• 3 3 3 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
• 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 2 2 teaspoons instant yeast

Preparation

Step 1

Mix to combine…

…then knead till smooth. The dough may be fairly sticky; that’s OK. So long as it holds its shape, you’re good.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or other container; I’m using an 8-cup measure here, so I can track how much it’s risen.

Cover, and let rise for 1 1/2 hours, until it’s puffy, though not necessarily doubled in bulk.

Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.

Roll the dough into a 14” x 22” rectangle.

It’ll be very thin. Don’t stress if you can’t make it exactly 14” x 22”.

Next up: the flavors of fall. Here we have 1/4 cup of dried cranberries on the left, 1/4 cup of diced crystallized ginger on the right. These will be sprinkled on the rolled dough…

…after we’ve spread it with the filling.

Combine the following:

3/4 cup Baker’s Cinnamon Filling* from King Arthur
3 tablespoons water

*Substitute 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon for the Baker’s Cinnamon Filling and water, if desired. If you use sugar and cinnamon, DO NOT ADD THE WATER.

Spread it over the dough. If you use sugar and cinnamon, brush the dough with water, then sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar.

Leave one short edge free of filling.

Sprinkle the cranberries over the filling

Starting with the end with filling, roll the dough into a log.

Seal it closed. Next, you’re going to cut it into 9 rolls. It helps to use a ruler and measure the entire log, divide by 9, then actually make slight cuts, as a guide.

A serrated knife is the easiest way to cut this dough. If things start getting too sticky, rinse the knife in hot water (don’t dry it), and continue.

There you have it: 9 fat rolls.

Lay the rolls in a lightly greased 9” square pan; the pan needs to be at least 2” deep.

Flatten them with your fingers, so they’re fairly tightly packed.

Then cover, and let them rise for 1 hour, or until they look puffy – like this. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, until they’re lightly browned and feel set.

Remove them from the oven, and set them on a rack.

Turn them out of the pan, and allow them to cool for about 15 minutes. Towards the end of the cooling time, make the glaze.

Combine the followoing:

1 cup glazing or confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons milk, or enough to make a “drizzlable” glaze

Stir till smooth.

Drizzle atop the warm buns.

Plan B: If you like a glaze that seeps down into the buns, leaving a translucent (rather than bright white) layer on top, apply the glaze while the buns are HOT.