Golden Pumpkin Rolls Recipe with Sourdough Start

My mom has been making these pumpkin rolls at Thanksgiving ever since I can remember. She says she got the recipe from a Woman's Day magazine. I wonder who else around the country makes them. They are not sweet, just more like a good dinner roll that is a tradition at our house for Thanksgiving.

This year I modified it for use with my sourdough start. It took me an hour of calculating and comparing similar recipes to feel confident I was using the right amount of start for how much flour, etc. I'm very proud that I wrote down what I did so it could be duplicated. I usually do a lot of substituting, winging it, and not remembering how to re-create the delicious result (or happily forgetting the failure).

Parenthetical italicized type indicates substitutions to use for the original, commercially yeasted version.

Note: My sourdough start is made using whole wheat flour

naturally yeasted Golden Pumpkin Rolls Recipe
yield: 36 rolls

In large mixing bowl (Bosch), combine:

2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup sourdough start (or 1 T. dry yeast)

In medium saucepan, heat and stir until shortening is just melted:

3/4 cup milk (or 1 1/4 cup milk)
2 T shortening
2 T honey
3 T sugar (or omit)
1 1/2 tsp salt

Add the liquid to the dry mixture.

Add:

1 egg
1/3 cup cooked pumpkin

Beat on low 1/2 min, then on high for 3 minutes, adding:

~1 1/2 cup more flour (~ 2 cups flour)

Let rise about 7 hours (or 1 hour) in GREASED bowl, (bowl covered with wet towel to keep from drying out).

Divide dough in thirds.
Roll out to 3 12-inch circles.
Brush lightly with melted butter.
Cut each into 12 wedges.

Roll each wedge up, curve slightly, and place point side down on GREASED cookie sheets.
Brush with butter.
At this point, I just put the pans on the cool stove while oven heats up to 400 degrees.

rolls waiting to go in oven

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.