Pumpkin Shaped Bread or Rolls #BBB

 

Our kitchen of the month chose a rustic pumpkin shaped and pumpkin based sourdough loaf for us to make this month!  Of course I have seen posts decrying the PSL, (pumpkin spiced latte), crazed autumn lovers for a few weeks now.  Rest assured, this is not PSL flavored if you don't go for that, and it easily could be if you do!  Since I had already done a large pumpkin sourdough loaf before, I decided to go with something a little more compact this time.  I think they look quite like the Jack-Be-Little mini decorating pumpkins you can find in the produce section with the decorative winter squash.

My full sized pumpkin sourdough, pumpkin shaped loaf.

Myself, being a wayward babe, I chose my own pumpkin sourdough recipe, but you can check out our original full sized recipe, variety of grains, and excellent shaping pictures on the host's post.  (Mine has a smaller yield and is enriched with the use of butter and milk.)  For the following recipe, since you are starting it the night before, it doesn't really matter if the starter has been fed just recently.  I might not use a completely old and hoochy starter, but if it's been in the fridge for a week or so since feeding, it should still be fine.  Just might take a little longer to fully perk.  Mine hadn't been fed for at least a couple weeks. 

This is a fun shaped bread that, while it takes some time, is not difficult and will impress! It was absolutely delicious dipped into our chowder with dinner too.  We would love for you to try this shaping method with us this month!  Bread Experience is the host kitchen this month. If you want to bake along with us and receive your Buddy Badge, please send a photo and link by October 29th to be included in the roundup.  Send an email to breadexperience at gmail dotcom and include BBB October Submission in the subject.  New recipes are posted every month on the 16th. Check out our Facebook group to see the participants' baking results during that time.

 

Pumpkin Sourdough Rolls

makes 10-12

 

¼ cup (56 g) butter (cold)

2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour or any combination of flours  (I added a touch of millet flour)

½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter discard 

½ cup (122 g) pumpkin puree

½ cup (120 g) milk (dairy or plant based) (I used coco-cashew this time)

2 tbsp (40 g) golden syrup or honey (may reduce or omit if desired)

1 tsp (5 g) salt

Late the night before (or early the morning of) when you want to make the rolls:

 

Chop the cold butter into small pieces and toss with the flour in a stand mixer.  Rub the butter pieces into the flour with your fingertips until it is an even, mealy mixture.  Add the starter, syrup or honey, pumpkin and milk to the bowl.  Knead until a fairly homogenous dough is formed.  At this point, you can either cover the bowl and let the dough sit at room temperature for 8-10 hours, or you can cover and chill overnight to have the dough ready for later the next day.

 

On the day you want to bake:

 

Turn out the dough and knead and fold on a floured surface until the dough is springy and smooth.  Return to bowl and allow to rise until doubled.  This may take all day for chilled dough, or it may be ready to go in the morning for an overnight ferment, depending on the current strength of the starter. While the dough is rising, cut some kitchen string into forty 8-10-inch strands.  Place the strings in a bowl and toss with a little oil to coat.  Set aside for shaping later.

 

Once the dough has doubled, divide into 10-12 equal portions and roll into rough balls.  (10 if shaping into pumpkins, 12 if baking as plain rolls in a 9x13 dish.)  If desired, reserve about 15-30 grams of the dough to shape into little stems.  These stems may be plain or they may be colored with a little matcha or cinnamon or cocoa powder.  (I used some cinnamon and matcha.)  Roll each large portion of dough into a round ball by cupping your hand over the dough and pressing and rolling lightly in a circular motion for 10 to 15 seconds.  Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place 4 pieces of string on your work surface, first in a cross, then an X, for eight equal divisions into a star shape.  Place a dough ball, smooth side-down, onto the center point. Carefully and firmly tie each string into a knot over the center of the roll. Snip off excess string using scissors.  (Do not tie the string too tight, just evenly against the surface of the dough.)

Place each tied roll, knot side down, onto a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strings and dough balls.

Let rolls rise for about 30 minutes or until they are slightly puffy against the strings.

Shape the reserved dough into "stems" and place them on the sheet next to the rolls.  The shapes should endeavor to be like little cones with a wider end and a narrow end.  (Pumpkin stems attach at the wide end, but it doesn't have to be a huge difference.)

Bake in the center of the preheated oven until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Cut strings off of each roll at the tops and peel down carefully and slowly to remove. Peel as far as possible and if the strings have baked into the sides, the strings may be pulled through from the bottom.  Cut a small hole in the tops of each roll and press "stems" into each hole, wider side down. Transfer pumpkin rolls to a serving platter.

To reheat rolls later, spritz with a little water, place directly on oven rack and preheat oven to 350ºF.  Rolls will be fully heated through when the oven is done preheating.

These were just lovely with baked potato soup!

 

(I took half of my dough and made 5 rolls for dinner, the other half I rolled out, spread with a little butter, sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon, and rolled up into cinnamon rolls!  I sliced them into five rolls and baked for about 30 minutes at 375ºF in a pie dish.  Then topped with a simple powdered sugar glaze.)

Leftover dough yumminess.

The rest of the Bread Baking Babes

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth
• Judy’s Gross Eats – Judy
• My Diverse Kitchen - Aparna
• Bread Experience - Cathy
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
• Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories - Karen 

 

Tangzhong Kolaches #BreadBakers

Our BreakBakers theme for this month (hosted by Karen's Kitchen Stories) was to bake a bread using a tangzhong, which is a roux of flour and water (or sometimes milk), which is cooked, cooled, and then added to the bread dough. It has the desirable effect of turning almost any dough into soft and fluffy bread. The tangzhong helps the dough hold onto moisture and stay fresh and works for all manner of applications from bread to rolls to pastries. As I looked for recipes I figured, what would be better suited for an even more soft and fluffy result than a pastry known for being soft and fluffy! Kolaches are exactly that: soft and fluffy Czech pastries filled with cheese or fruit.

 

They are sometimes topped with a streusel called a posypka topping among other names, depending on the region.  Not absolutely required but definitely tasty!  Having never tried one before, I was happy to give the recipe a go!  They did not disappoint.  The only thing I would change is to make 8-10 instead of 6.  At six per batch, you have to split them with someone!  But SO fluffy!  I might consider docking the center as well: this was extremely happy dough.  Flatten that center well... well.

 

Tangzhong Kolaches

makes 6-10

from Cookie Madness. 

 

Tangzhong:

3 tbsp water (43g)

3 tbsp milk (43g)

2 tbsp flour (14g)

Dough:

2½ cups (335g) flour (may a few tbsp need more if adding sourdough starter or using an extra large egg)

1 tsp salt
2 tbsp + 1 tsp (30g) sugar
2 tsp (6g) instant yeast

optional - 1 spoonful sourdough starter
4 tbsp (56.5)g unsalted butter softened to almost melted
1 large egg at room temperature
½ cup (245g) warm milk about 115ºF
Extra butter for brushing dough

Posypka topping (streusel):

¼ cup flour (35 grams)
1 tbsp sugar (12 grams)
Tiny pinch of salt
4 tsp cold butter (18 grams), cut into small chunks

Filling:

4 oz cream cheese, softened (114 grams) (Quark is an oft-used option)
2 tbsp sugar (25 grams)
½ of an egg yolk
~½ tsp lemon zest
~1/8 tsp vanilla
Raspberry preserves (optional)

Instructions
 

To make the tangzhong: Whisk together the 2 tbsp flour, 3 tbsp milk and 3 tbsp water in a small saucepan until smooth. Place over medium heat and whisk for about 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and whisk leaves a trail on the bottom of the saucepan. Scrape into the bowl of a stand mixer (or another bowl if you wish) and let cool slightly.

 

To the bowl add the milk and starter if using, and whisk together.  Add the 2½ cups flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Add the softened butter and the egg and stir to make very soft dough.  Place the bowl on the mixer stand and begin kneading with the dough hook. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic.  If the dough is too sticky, add flour 2 tbsp at a time while the machine kneads, until the dough no longer clings to the side of the bowl. This should be Goldilocks dough: not too sticky, not too dry; just a perfect, easy to handle, smooth dough.

 

Cover the dough and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours.

 

 

Turn the dough onto the counter or a pastry mat. The dough should be workable by hand with no sticking, but if for some reason it is sticky you can flour the the counter or your hands. Divide the dough into 6-10 equal portions. Shape each into a ball by folding in the sides and corners a few times. Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet.  

 

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour.

 

While rising, mix together ingredients for the Posypka Topping and the cream cheese filling:

Posypka Directions: In a small bowl, mix together flour, sugar and salt. Toss the butter with the flour mixture and rub it in with your fingers until it is a powdery streusel.  Work the crumbs until they stick together in clumps that are the size you desire.  Chill to hold the crumbs in that size range.

Cream Cheese Filling – Mix together softened cream cheese and sugar, then stir in the egg yolk. Mix well, adding the lemon zest and vanilla.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.  If you’d like to introduce steam into the oven (to help with rise and promote a soft crust), put an empty cast iron skillet on the bottom rack.  Make an indentation in each risen ball and fill with filling.  (I used a combination of cheese filling and preserves for mine.)

 

Sprinkle with posypka topping. Let rise for about 10 minutes or so.  Once the oven is preheated, carefully pour about 2 or 3 cups of cold water into the hot skillet for steam.  (This step is optional.)
    

Bake Kolaches for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350º and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until very lightly browned and baked through.

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

 

 

    Be sure to check out the rest of the fluffy bakes:

• Easy Cinnamon Rolls from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Eggless Nasturtium Greens Sandwich Bread (Tangzhong Method) from Cook with Renu
• Japanese Chocolate Milk Bread from Passion Kneaded
• Japanese Milk Bread Buns from Ambrosia
• Japanese Milk Bread Rolls from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao) from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Sourdough Pumpkin Babka from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Tangzhong Kolaches from A Messy Kitchen
• Tangzhong Loaf With Cinnamon Sugar Topping from Sneha's Recipe
• Tangzhong Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns from Magical Ingredients
• Tangzhong Sourdough Bread from Food Lust People Love