pumpkin sage butter brioche dinner rolls
YOU GUYS, FEEL HOW SOFT THESE ARE.
Aight, fellas. I’m a lifelong Floridian. I was born right after Hurricane Andrew, evacuated for Charlie and Irma, and have prepped for countless named storms only for them to veer out of the way and leave the locals with barren grocery shelves and embarrassing amounts of Pop Tarts in their larders. I’m not one to panic when a system is 3, 4, 5 days out. And I’m still not panicking. But I’m probably a bit more worried than usual over Ian’s approach.
I think a lot of my discomfort stems from us having returned from Boston on Sunday night and thus jumping straight into storm prep upon landing. Yesterday I ran out for some groceries (largely snacks, soups, and cereal. Go me) and scrounged up an escape plan with J in case we need to make adjustments. My mom lives a bit more inland and not in Zone A, so I’m likely to drive out there if needed. The track so far scrapes Ian right by Tampa, which means we’ll probably have a shit ton of rain, wind, and the threat of storm surge. Which isn’t great if you live by the water like I do.
The good news? It’s early, tracks change, and I’m trying to calm my breath by sharing, as I do. And what better than a batch of comforting dinner rolls?
These lightly spiced, soft, beautifully puffy Pumpkin Sage Butter Dinner Rolls are the perfect accompaniment to your autumnal spreads. A touch of sage, a hint of cinnamon, a finishing brush of maple butter over a warm roll… most enticing for a cozy supper. Like a savory cinnamon bun in texture. Hint: keep this shit bookmarked for Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin Butter Brioche
Hum that to the Mario tube tune for guaranteed smiles.
I wrote the directions for this recipe assuming you have access to a stand mixer, BUT it is definitely possible to mix up the dough by hand. See the “notes” section in the written recipe, and I’ll walk you through it here as well.
If you use a stand mixer like me: Start by proofing the yeast in a mix of maple syrup and warm milk until nice and bubbly. Attach the dough hook and stir in softened butter, pumpkin, and an egg, then start adding the flour and the spices. I usually begin with 3 cups and add a bit at a time, about 1/4 cup, until the dough pulls from the sides of the bowl and is soft but not sticky. Knead about 5-10 more minutes. This took about 4 1/4 cups of flour for me, but you may need more depending on your weather conditions and the mood of the Bread Gods.
If you mix by hand: Whisk together the yeast, syrup, and milk, and let it proof as above. Stir in the butter, pumpkin, and egg, then use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour and spices. When the dough is sturdy enough to handle, turn onto a floured surface and begin to knead, adding more flour as needed. Knead a total of 10-15 minutes.
After the dough is formed, turn into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.
Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’ Through the Butter
While the dough rises, I like to whip up the sage butter. Very simple. Brown some butter in a skillet with sage leaves, which get nice and crispy after a couple minutes. Drain the sage on paper towels and let the browned butter cool. Chop the sage and fold, along with the cooled brown butter, into a few more tablespoons of regular butter. So easy, but absolutely heavenly with the spiced rolls.
When the dough is risen, punch it down and break into two relatively even balls. Roll one ball into a square on a floured surface. I used a pizza cutter to slice the rectangle into 6 strips – as even as you can, but if they’re rustic, that’s cool. Brush down the length of each roll with the sage butter, then roll into a nice tight cylinder. Set the rolls seam-side down in a greased casserole dish or cake pan. Repeat with the second dough ball.
Let the rolls rise in the casserole dish for a bit longer. While that happens, heat up the oven.
Get Your Hot Fresh Rolls, Here!
You should have a couple tablespoons of sage butter left from the initial brushing. If you don’t, no problem. I recommend a nice swath of maple butter for serving – just more butter, maple syrup, and flaky salt – and you can certainly use that for coating the tops of the rolls.
Bake the rolls until they’re golden and poofy. Let them rest a few minutes in the dish, then pop them out and serve them hot with a smear of the maple butter I suggested above. I love unraveling my roll to expose all the flaky, soft inner layers.
Like I said, save this sucker for holiday festivities, or when you need some serious carbs but don’t just want to pluck open the everyday loaf. They’re the prettiest starter for a hosted meal, or lay them out on a nice platter with a bowl of the maple butter in the center and let guests take a swipe as they tool around the kitchen. No matter how you choose to serve them, you really can’t go wrong.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
More bread for thought:
Cream Cheese Swirled Apple Cider Pumpkin Bread
Soft Cheese and Herb Breadstick Twists with Honey Butter
Salted Maple Butter Brioche Dinner Rolls
pumpkin sage butter brioche dinner rolls
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup whole milk, warm
- 1 egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 10 tbsp butter, softened
- 4 – 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 10-12 sage leaves
salted maple butter
- 4 tbsp butter, soft
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, maple syrup, and warm milk. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly.
- With a dough hook attached, mix in 4 tablespoons of salted butter and the pumpkin puree. On low speed, knead in 3 cups of the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Add additional flour 1/4 cup at a time until a soft, cohesive dough forms. It should be tacky, but not sticky. Continue kneading the dough for 5-10 more minutes. You may use up to 4 1/2 cups to create the right texture.
- Lightly grease the mixing bowl with oil or butter. Turn the dough ball so both sides are coated. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- While the dough rises, make the sage butter. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and the sage leaves in a skillet over medium heat until the butter is golden brown and the sage leaves crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Move the sage leaves to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Let the butter cool, then chop the sage and stir the browned butter and sage leaves into the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.
- Grease a large 9 x 13 inch casserole dish or cake pan with oil or butter.
- Punch down the dough and divide in half. Flour a clean work surface and roll the dough into a 1/4 inch thick square. Cut into 6 strips. Brush the length of each strip with the sage butter and, starting from the short end, roll tightly down the entire length. See photos for reference. Set each roll seam-side down into the casserole dish with about 1/2 inch or so between each. Repeat with the remaining ball of dough. Cover the dish and let the rolls rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Uncover the rolls and brush the tops with the remaining sage butter. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden and puffy.
- For the maple butter, stir the butter, maple syrup, and salt until combined. Serve the rolls warm with maple butter and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
