Honey Butter Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Two weeks to Thanksgiving. The organizing has begun: the phone calls, the confirmation of who is coming, the logistics of a table that keeps growing. This year the count is fourteen. Fourteen people in my house on Thanksgiving, which requires both tables fully extended and creative arrangement of the seating. I have solved this problem: I am borrowing the church's folding table this year, which is longer than mine and will allow a full continuous table from the dining room into the hall.

CJ and Shanice and Caleb are coming Wednesday night and staying through Sunday. Three months of Caleb under one roof for four days, which I have been looking forward to with an anticipation that is slightly embarrassing in its intensity. I have not said this to CJ. I have said to him instead: I just want to make sure I have everything you need for the baby. He said, Mama, we're bringing everything. I said, I know, but let me know what you need. He said, Mama. I said, I'll stop. I did not stop. He sighed in the good-natured way of a man who has accepted his mother's nature.

Kezia came Saturday and we made the cornbread for the dressing — I bake it ahead, crumble it, let it dry for two days, which is the right texture for the dressing. She watched me crumble it by hand and asked if a food processor would work and I said yes if you want bad dressing, and she laughed and crumbled it by hand the rest of the way. There is a quality to hand-crumbled cornbread in a dressing that is different from processed, and the difference is worth noting. Sometimes the inefficient way is the right way. Sometimes the machine cannot do what the hands do.

The cornbread is crumbled and drying, the church table is reserved, and Caleb is coming Wednesday — which means it is also time to think about the rolls. I make these honey butter pumpkin dinner rolls every Thanksgiving because they belong on that table the same way the dressing does: warm, a little golden, and made with enough care that people notice. After an afternoon of working things by hand with Kezia, a recipe that rewards that same kind of attention felt exactly right.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 2 hr 45 min (includes rise time) | Servings: 16 rolls

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1/4 cup honey, divided
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for brushing
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
Flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)

Instructions

Activate the yeast. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the honey. Stir gently and let sit for 5–8 minutes until foamy. If it does not foam, your yeast may be old — start again with a fresh packet.
Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the pumpkin puree, remaining honey, melted butter, and eggs into the yeast mixture until smooth and well combined.
Add dry ingredients. Add the salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then add the flour one cup at a time, stirring until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface (or use the dough hook on a stand mixer on medium-low) and knead for 7–9 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky. Add flour a tablespoon at a time only if the dough is sticking excessively.
First rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
Shape the rolls. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a clean surface. Divide into 16 equal portions (a kitchen scale helps). Roll each portion into a smooth ball by cupping your hand over the dough and using a circular motion against the surface. Arrange in a lightly buttered 9x13-inch baking pan, spacing them evenly.
Second rise. Cover loosely and let rise another 45–60 minutes, until the rolls are puffed and touching each other.
Bake. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the rolls sound hollow when tapped.
Finish with honey butter. While the rolls are hot from the oven, brush generously with melted butter and drizzle lightly with honey. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Honey Butter Pumpkin Dinner Rolls — The Bread I Make When the House Is Finally Full