Pumpkin-shaped Dinner Rolls

What’s better than freshly-baked rolls served straight out of the oven? How about deliciously festive pumpkin-shaped dinner rolls? Using simple kitchen twine, we transform regular rolls into an excellent addition to a themed feast or whenever you want to add some whimsy to a meal. 

It doesn't get much easier than this recipe: all you need is milk, water, yeast, flour, sugar, salt and butter for the dough and a few hours for proofing. The secret to the shape here is to overlap twine strings around the dough before baking to create segments resembling a pumpkin’s. We also brush the rolls with butter and sprinkle them with flaky sea salt for extra flavour and that coveted golden colour. 

Once baked, the rolls are brushed again for more buttery goodness, and as a finishing touch, we poke a hole at the top and gently insert a cinnamon stick to mimic a pumpkin stem. Tasty, visually pleasing and downright fun, these rolls will surely be a crowd-pleaser. 

For more seasonally-inspired, check out our recipes for Brown Butter Skillet Cornbread and Butternut Squash, Ricotta and Fried Sage Pizza.

Difficulty

Servings

6 dinner rolls

Prep Time

3 hours and 30 minutes

Cook Time

10-15 minutes

By Ooni HQ

pumpkin shaped dinner rolls

Note

While we’re partial to cooking these dinner rolls in a Volt for more even heat distribution, you can also use a Karu 16, Karu 12G, or your conventional oven for just-as-tasty results.


1. Using kitchen scissors, cut 18 pieces of twine measuring 30 centimetres (12 inches) each.

(You will need 3 pieces of twine per roll.)

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add your milk, water and yeast.

Let sit for 5 minutes. 

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar and fine sea salt.

 

4. Add the softened butter to the yeast mixture, followed by the dry ingredients.

(Adding softened butter ensures that it will be incorporated evenly into the dough.)

5. Mix on low speed using the hook attachment for 4 to 6 minutes or until a dough forms, taking care not to overwork it.

6. Take the dough out of the bowl and form it into a ball.

Place it in a separate bowl and cover it with a towel or plastic wrap. Leave to proof at room temperature for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. 

7. Once your dough has proofed, weigh out six 150-gram dough balls using a dough scraper and digital scale for accuracy.

 

8. Form each dough ball by pinching the corners over themselves towards the middle of the ball.

When the ball becomes tighter, roll the dough so the pinched side is on the underside of the roll. 

Tip: Don’t roll or form the dough too hard or for too long – we want to keep them light and fluffy!


9. Take your first 3 pieces of twine and lie them over each other on your work surface in the shape of an asterisk or star.

Place a dough ball in the middle of the twine

Two hands holding the ends of kitchen twine strings beneath a dough ball on a table next to more dough balls.

10. Take the ends of one string and gently tie them in a knot over the top of the dough ball.

Do the same with the other 2 pieces of twine, overlapping the strings to create the pumpkin segments. Clip the excess twine. Repeat the steps with the remaining 5 rolls. 

Two hands tying the ends of kitchen twine strings over a dough ball on a table next to more dough balls.

11. Put the rolls on a baking sheet, cover them with a towel and let them proof at room temperature for 1 hour.

12. 40 minutes into your proof, preheat your Volt to 260 °C.

If using a Karu 16, Karu 12G, or home oven, preheat to 230 °C.

13. Once the rolls have finished proofing, brush them with melted butter (saving a bit for a post-bake brush) and sprinkle on flaky sea salt.

Place the rolls in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes; at the 6-minute mark, take the pan out of the oven using your oven gloves and turn the pan 90 degrees for an even bake. 

Tip: If using the Volt, you’ll want to focus the heat dispersion towards the bottom (the stone) so that the bottoms of the rolls get browned and the tops don’t burn and stay nice and pillowy.

If using a Karu 16, Karu 12G, or home oven, bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown in colour (you don’t need to turn the pan).


14. Remove the rolls from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

Brush with the remaining melted butter for a little extra fat and flavour. Let cool, then carefully cut off the twine using scissors.

One hand removing kitchen twine strings from a baked pumpkin-shaped dinner roll above a cooling rack next to a baking tray filled with more baked rolls.

15. For extra visual appeal, poke a hole in the middle of each roll with a butter knife and gently insert a cinnamon stick – just remember not to eat the stick!.

For extra visual appeal, poke a hole in the middle of each roll with a butter knife and gently insert a cinnamon stick – just remember not to eat the stick!

16. Serve warm and enjoy!.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Ooni HQ

From wood-fired flavour to gas-powered consistency to electrified convenience, you can use Ooni's portable pizza ovens in the kitchen, backyard or beyond.

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