When I was around 12 years old, my mom clipped a roll recipe out of a magazine to try for our Thanksgiving dinner. It was called something like “Winter Squash and Sage Dinner Rolls” and it had you roast your own winter squash to puree to make the rolls and tie them in these fancy little knots. I don’t know that I had made any yeasted baked goods before that point and I’m not sure how many my mom had made, but either way, we misread the recipe, added way too much milk, and ended up with a dough that tried to escape onto the floor as soon as we turned it out onto the counter to try and shape it. Naturally, they were some of the best, most tender rolls I’d ever eaten and I made them every holiday until my diagnosis.
These rolls are an ode to those glutinous rolls that I loved in my childhood, and though I can’t remember the taste and texture of the rolls exactly, I’m confident these come close. They’re tender, slightly sweet, and delightfully pumpkin-y. The sage adds a welcome earthiness to the flavor profile, rounding them out to what I consider to be the perfect roll. Most importantly, they are excellent with butter.
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Instant-read thermometer
- Bench scraper with measurements
This recipe is doable without both of these items, however they both make things a lot easier. I find instant read thermometers are well worth a couple of bucks to take the guesswork out of activating yeast. I like this one.
As far as mixing goes, without a stand mixer, you’ll likely have to knead the dough by hand from the very beginning. Messy, but doable!
Lastly, I use a bench scraper to cut the dough into equal pieces. Measurements on the bench scraper, like on this one, help to divide the dough into equal pieces. I especially like this one because it can also be used to scrape the dough out of the bowl thanks to the rounded top edge.
Recipe Tips and Notes
Start by prepping your ingredients: melt your butter, weigh out and premix the dry ingredients, and chop your sage.
In a small bowl, weigh out the milk, pumpkin, and sugar and whisk to combine. Heat the mixture to between 95oF and 110oF, either by microwaving in 30 second intervals or on the stovetop in a small pot. Once heated, whisk in the yeast and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until it looks bubbly and slightly puffy, like this:
Vigorously whisk in the psyllium husk. It will become thick relatively quickly, so remove the whisk before it becomes thick enough to solidify in the whisk.
Add the flour mixture, the pumpkin yeast mixture and all three eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix until the dough is shaggy and not-quite coming together.
Add the butter and continue to mix until the dough is soft and supple.
Once the dough is thoroughly mixed, add the chopped sage and knead again until it is fully incorporated.
Dust the countertop lightly with tapioca starch. Using a starch helps create a smooth, workable dough surface when you shape it, as long as you use it sparingly. Turn the dough out onto the counter and form into a log.
Use the measurements on the bench scraper to evenly divide the dough into two. Each of these two pieces will be divided into 8.
Divide all the dough into 16 equally-sized pieces as above. Cover all but one of the dough pieces with a towel or plastic wrap to prevent drying. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper.
Roll each dough piece into a snake 10 – 12 inches long, then gently tie into a knot. Remember that the dough doesn’t stretch easily, but is fairly supple, so be gentle when tying the knot. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
If a less fancy roll is desired, simply roll each of the 16 pieces of dough into a ball instead. The rest of the recipe is the same.
Cover with plastic wrap and proof for 30 to 45 minutes or until risen, as in the pictures below. Preheat the oven to 375oF while the rolls are rising.
Once the rolls have risen, bake for 22 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Allow to cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy with butter or all on their own!
Gluten Free Pumpkin Sage Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep your ingredients
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Take the eggs out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature on the countertop.
Melt the butter.
Wash and chop the sage.
Make the dough
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Whisk together the milk, pumpkin, and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals until the temperature is between 95oF - 110oF on an instant read thermometer. Add the yeast and whisk to combine. Set aside until frothy (5-10 minutes). After the yeast is active, whisk in the psyllium powder.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flours and the kosher salt. Mix to combine. With the dough hook attachment equipped, add the pumpkin mixture and the three eggs. Mix on low until the dough is a shaggy, dry consistency, then add the butter. Continue to mix until the dough is smooth and completely homogeneous. Add the sage and mix again until evenly distributed.
Shape the rolls
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
Turn the dough out onto a surface lightly floured with tapioca starch. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces.
Work with one piece of dough at a time, covering the others with a towel or plastic wrap to prevent drying.
Option 1: Roll the piece of dough into a ribbon 10 - 12 inches long. Tie loosely in a knot and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Option 2: Roll the piece of dough into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm location for 30-45 minutes or until risen (see process photos above).
Bake the rolls
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While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375oF.
Once risen, bake for 22 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving.