PUMPKIN ROLLS WITH RUM FRUITS

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When I came back from my Hamburg trip it started snowing here in Bar Harbor. The thick, wet flakes soon melted from the streets but left the garden a wintery mess - no way to get rid of those pesky maple leaves covering lawn and flower beds now.

The first snow in our street

Hanaâ's ABC-bakers had posted their Cranberry Pumpkin Rolls for November already, but all their appetizing photos convinced me to tackle those little golden rolls, albeit belatedly, too.

Combining pumpkin, cranberries, raisins and crystallized ginger with warm spices like cinnamon and cloves was very tempting (the smell!) and just the right thing for this cold, unfriendly transition from fall to winter.

As ususual, I adapted King Arthur Flour's recipe to my preferences, exchanging a quarter of the white flour with whole wheat, reducing the salt, and, since the crystallized ginger was sugary, also the amount of sugar. Most important, I gave the dried fruits a bath in rum!

Dried fruits for the rum soaker

A slow overnight rise (with less yeast!) allowed the rich ingredients to meld and develop their flavors. And with pumpkin inside - why shouldn't there be pumpkin seed on top, too?

The little, soft rolls were so delicious that we devoured them within two days (I made half the recipe). Thanks to the long, cold fermentation they had a mellow spiciness, and the rum soaked fruits were soft and plump without any harsh alcoholic note.

With jam or just with butter: delicious!

PUMPKIN ROLLS WITH RUM FRUITS (nach King Arthur Flour)
(16 small rolls)

Fruit Soaker:
64 g dried cranberries
64 g golden raisins
53 g crystallized ginger, diced
1/8 cup/60 ml rum

FINAL DOUGH
18 oz/510 g all-purpose flour
2 oz/57 g whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1.4 oz/40 g brown sugar, light or dark
1 tsp./6 g salt
2 1/4 tsp./0.3 oz/7 g instant yeast
6 oz/170 g/3/4 cup canned pumpkin (or homemade*)
rum fruits (with soaking liquid)
2 large eggs
3 oz/90 ml water (or more, depending on the water in the pumpkin)
2 oz/57 g/4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
egg, slightly beaten with a little water, for egg wash
pumpkin seeds, chopped, for topping

*homemade pumpkin puree see Dan Lepard's recipe) 


DAY 1
In the morning:
Mix dried fruits and rum in a small bowl, cover and leave to soak, stirring now and then.

In the evening:
Mix all dough ingredients at low speed (or with wooden spoon) until they come together (1-2 minutes). Let rest for 5 minutes. Knead at mediump-low speed (or by hand) for 6 minutes, adjusting with a little more water or flour as needed (dough should be soft and a bit sticky).

Then work the dough with stretching & folding as described here (S&F 3-4 times).  Place dough in a lightly greased bowl or container, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

After the last S & F the dough is ready for the fridge

DAY 2
Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours before using. It should have almost doubled in volume, if not, let it rise longer.

Divide dough in equal pieces and shape into rolls

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 16 equal pieces, roughly 2.75 oz/78 g each. Shape pieces into rolls. Place rolls, smooth side up, on parchment-lined or perforated baking sheets. 

Shaped rolls before rising...

Brush rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, pressing seeds lightly to adhere. Cover, and let rise for about 1 hour, or until they have grown at least 1 1/2 times their original size (finger test: a dimple should remain visible).

Preheat oven to 350ºF/175ºC. No steaming.

....and ready to be baked

Bake rolls for 20 - 25 minutes (rotating pan 180 degrees after half the baking time for even browning), until golden brown (internal temperature at least 190⁰F/90ºC). Turn rolls out onto a wire rack to cool.

Freshly baked - you can eat them warm

Serve warm or at room temperature.

STORAGE: Wrapped in plastic foil, the rolls can be kept at room temperature for three days. Or you can place them in a ziploc bag and freeze them.

For BreadStorm users (also the free version) here the interactive formula to download:
Submitted to YeastSpotting