Sweet Pumpkin Buns

Truth be told, I only started eating pumpkin some years ago when I moved to Germany. Growing up, autumn was for me all about my mom’s apple cake—that sweet, cinnamon scent filling the house. Pumpkin was never really on my radar. In fact, I’m pretty sure I never saw one in the supermarket, let alone at the farmers’ market in the small town where I grew up in Romania. 

Now, as an adult, I still wasn’t a huge fan of pumpkin. Mostly, because I had no idea how to cook it or bring out its best flavors.  There is one recipe that I kept seeing on Instagram over the years and that is, correct, you’ve guess it: these soft pumpkin buns. I’ve wanted to bake them for ages, but never quite find the time for them.

Finally, this year, I decided to give it a go. And I have to admit—I’m in love. These pumpkin buns turned out to be everything I never knew I needed from this humble fruit (yes, apparently it is a fruit from a botanical perspective). Slightly sweet, tender, and with just a hint of spice, they’re the perfect companion to a cup of coffee or tea on a crisp autumn morning. If you, like me, have been in a love-hate situation with pumpkin, these buns just might change your mind. Plus, they look adorable!

Ingredients for 10 buns

Active time: 1.5 h (mostly spend making the dough, cutting the strings, forming the buns and baking).

Total time: 12 h rise overnight + max. 3 h rise the next day + 1.5 hours (making the dough, forming and baking)

For the dough

• 21g fresh yeast

• 125 g ml lukewarm milk (37°C) 

• 50 g lukewarm water (37°C) 

• 125 g pumpkin purée

• 100 g butter (cubed)

• 80 g sugar

• 1 tsp pumpkin spice (cinnamon would also work)

• 7 g tsp salt

• 500 g bread flour (Manitoba)

For the syrup

• 50 g sugar

• 25 g water

Extra

• Cooking strings (you can usually find them in the kitchen utensils aisle in the supermarket)

• Cinnamon Sticks cut in thirds. (optional, for the looks)

Steps

1. For the pumpkin purée I cut a small Hokkaido Pumpkin in half, carved out the seeds and roasted it for about 40 min at 180 °C, until it was soft and water started to form on the surface. Leave it to cool and then scoop out the pulp and puree in a food processor for about 1 minute, until it had a smooth consistency. In the end I had 450 g of purée. For this recipe you will need only 125 g, with the rest you can get creative and make pumpkin spice latte or porridge, for example.

2. For the dough, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and knead everything for about 10 minutes. At the end, the dough should no longer stick to the sides of the bowl. If you don't have a stand mixer, simply knead it with your hands until it is elastic and no longer sticks to your hands. Knead the dough for a few minutes in the bowl and then on the table (it will take longer than 10 minutes). Avoid adding more flour during this process, as the dough will no longer be as fluffy after baking.

3. After 10 min shape the dough in a ball, cover the bowl with a plastic bag or with a lid and let it chill in the fridge overnight (10-12 h). If you don’t have the time, let the dough rise for 1-2 hours at room temperature (24-25 °C) or until it has doubled in size.

4. The next morning start by preparing your strings: Cut 4 x 10 strands of cooking string - 30 cm long each and lay 4 pieces of in a crisscross pattern. 

5. Remove the dough from the fridge and divide it into 10 equal portions (about 100 g each). Shape each portion into a smooth, tight ball and place it at the center of the crisscrossed strings. Gently tie the strings as loosely as possible.

6. Carefully place the buns on a baking tray with some space in between (I could fit 9 pieces on my tray). Let them rise in the warm oven for about 2.5 - 3 h or until the pumpkin form is visible (I usually turn on the oven for about 30 seconds to a minute until is warm enough, but not hot. In this way I simulate a proofing box).

7. In the meantime prepare the syrup by boiling water and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved. 

8. Preheat your oven: 180°C/356°F.

9. Bake the buns for about 12 min (depending on your oven) until golden brown. 

10. Tip: Since we have only 10 pieces and don't want to bake a single piece separately, you can place this one on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Put it in the oven during the preheating process and let it bake for about 12 minutes. Keep an eye on it and take it out when it turns golden brown. Or you can simply bake two trays at once and swap places after 6 minutes. The top tray goes on top and vice versa.  

11. After they are baked wait a couple a minutes until you carefully remove the strings. 

12. Brush the hot buns with the syrup, add a cinnamon stick in the middle and enjoy!

Serving Tip: These buns are delicious on their own, with just the right amount of sweetness to pair perfectly with coffee or tea. For a delightful breakfast option, try them with a spread of cream cheese. You can store the buns in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze them in a bag and take them out one at a time. Let them thaw at room temperature, then cut them in half and toast before serving.