I have been making these rolls at Thanksgiving for over 20 years.  They are light, delicious and fill the house with the most amazing aroma.  To avoid the last minuteness of a holiday meal, I make them ahead, par-bake  and freeze them.   The recipe is from one of my favorite books on vegetables: Greene on Greens, by Bert Greene.  He states the recipe comes from a New Hampshire Methodist church bulletin, printed around the turn of the century!

For the rolls – makes about 2 dozen (I doubled the recipe)

Note – 3 hours rising time, 15 minutes prep/mix time, 15 minutes bake time

1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 cup lukewarm water

3 cups all-purpose flour, approximately

3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup pureed, cooked pumpkin (you can use good quality organic, canned pumpkin – just make sure it is NOT pumpkin pie mix.  A small sugar pie pumpkin, roasted and pureed produces the exact amount needed!)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup good quality, pure maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup stone-ground whole-wheat flour

My directions are different then the original recipe as I use my Kitchen Aide mixer and the bread hook attachment and do not do any mixing/kneading by hand.

In the mixer bowl, combine the yeast, granulated sugar and warm water.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour.  Cover with a cloth and let rise for 1 hour.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and pour in medium bowl.  Beat in the brown sugar, salt, pumpkin, egg, maple syrup and cinnamon.

Add this mixture to the yeast, sugar flour mixture.  Beat until smooth.

Add the whole-wheat flour and enough all-purpose flour to make a firm dough.  Mix on medium speed for about 5-7 minutes.  Add flour about 1/2 cup at a time, as shown in the video.   (Dough is right consistency when it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, the sides of the bowl are clean, the dough is smooth and not sticky and forms a ball.)  Cover and let rise for 2 hours.

Punch the dough down and transfer to a floured work surface.  Knead briefly and roll out until about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut dough into 1 inch circles.  Place on a flour rubbed baking sheet.  Cover with a towel and let rise 1 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 425′.  Melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and brush the tops of the rolls with it.

Bake 15 minutes, if you intend to eat them the same day you make them.  Otherwise bake 7 minutes, let cool, cover with plastic wrap and freeze.  On the day you wish to serve them, remove from freezer about an hour before baking.  Bake about 7 more minutes at 425′.

Thank you Dave, for the video!