Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Wait until you smell the wonderful pumpkin aroma as these rolls bake! They make a wonderful Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner roll, but are excellent anytime of the year. I usually make and bake them a week ahead of time and freeze until ready to reheat. This helps take some of the hassle out of the holiday meal.

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Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

1 cup milk (110 degrees F.)
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/3 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast (I use Red Star Instant Active Yeast)
Egg Glaze (see recipe below)

Place all ingredient (in order given), except Egg Glaze, in bread pan of your bread machine. Select dough setting and press start. When dough cycle has finished, remove dough from pan and turn out onto a lightly oiled surface (I use a non-stick cooking spray). Form dough into an oval, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 10 minutes.

After resting, shape the dough into 24 tight balls between the palm of your hands. NOTE: To make uniform rolls, weigh the dough into 2 ounces each. As you shape the rolls, stretch the top of the dough ball while simultaneously sealing the bottom. This stretching helps the dough hold up to the expansion that occurs in the oven, and the sealing prevents the roll from opening up while baking. As you make each roll, transfer the roll to a non-sticking baking sheet (sealed side down). NOTE: Keep unused dough and dough roll covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying out. This recipe will need two large baking sheets, 12 rolls on each baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover rolls with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. After rising, brush each roll with Egg Glaze. Bake approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

NOTE: I usually bake these rolls a few days ahead of time. Bake them just until they're slightly golden. When cool, freeze them in plastic bags. When ready to use, remove as many rolls as you will need. Place on baking sheets, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes or until they are heated through.

EGG GLAZE:
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

In a small bowl, combine egg yolk and water.

Makes 24 (2-ounce) rolls.