Honey-Sweetened Fresh-Milled Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Soft pumpkin cinnamon rolls made with freshly milled Prairie Gold wheat and sweetened entirely with honey. These yeast-raised rolls are filled with a thick honey-cinnamon swirl and topped with a creamy cream cheese drizzle made without powdered sugar.
Equipment
- Grain mill
- Large mixing bowl
- Dough whisk or sturdy wooden spoon
- measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale
- Rolling Pin
- Bench scraper
- 9-by-13-inch baking dish
- Unflavored dental floss or sharp knife
Ingredients
Pumpkin Dough
- 4 cups freshly milled Prairie Gold flour plus more if needed (500–540 grams total)
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast 7 grams
- 1 1/2 tsp salt 9 grams
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 cup plain pumpkin purée 180 grams
- 1/2 cup whole milk warmed to 105–110°F (120 grams)
- 1/3 cup honey 113 grams
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1/4 cup butter melted and cooled slightly (57 grams)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Honey-Cinnamon Filling
- 1/4 cup butter softened (57 grams)
- 1/4 cup honey 85 grams
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp freshly milled flour approximately 16 grams
- pinch of salt
Honey Cream Cheese Drizzle
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup milk or as needed
Instructions
Mix and Hydrate the Dough
- Add the pumpkin purée, warm milk, honey, egg, melted butter, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- Add 500 grams of freshly milled flour, instant yeast, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir with a sturdy wooden spoon or dough whisk until no dry flour remains. The dough will look rough and feel sticky at this point.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes. This gives the freshly milled flour time to absorb the liquid before kneading.
Knead the Dough by Hand
- Lightly oil your hands and a clean work surface. Turn the dough onto the prepared surface.
- Knead the dough by hand for 10–12 minutes. Push the dough away from you with the heel of your hand, fold it back over itself, rotate it a quarter turn, and repeat.
- Use a bench scraper to lift and fold the dough if it sticks to the counter. Avoid covering the work surface with additional flour.
- The dough should gradually become smoother, stretchy, and only slightly tacky. If it remains excessively wet after approximately 5 minutes of kneading, work in some of the reserved flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Do not exceed approximately 540 grams of flour unless absolutely necessary.
- The dough does not need to pass a perfect windowpane test. It is ready when it feels smoother and elastic, holds its shape, and can be gently stretched before tearing.
First Rise
- Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for 60–90 minutes, or until puffy and close to doubled in size.
Prepare the Filling
- Stir together the softened butter, honey, cinnamon, flour, and salt until a thick, spreadable paste forms.
- If the filling is runny, refrigerate it for 5–10 minutes before spreading it over the dough.
Shape the Cinnamon Rolls
- Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it into an approximately 12-by-18-inch rectangle.
- Spread the honey-cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving about ½ inch uncovered along one long edge.
- Beginning at the opposite long edge, roll the dough into a snug log. Pinch the seam closed.
- Cut the log into 12 equal rolls with unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife.
- Arrange the rolls in the prepared baking dish.
Second Rise
- Cover the baking dish and let the rolls rise for 35–60 minutes. They should look puffy and begin touching one another.
- Near the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake
- Bake the cinnamon rolls for 17 - 25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and the centers are set.
- For the most reliable result, check that a center roll has reached approximately 190°F. If the tops brown too quickly, loosely cover the pan with foil.
- Let the rolls cool for 10–15 minutes before adding the drizzle.
Make the Cream Cheese Drizzle
- Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.
- Mix in the honey, vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk.
- Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the drizzle reaches your preferred consistency.
- Spoon the cream cheese drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls and serve.
Notes
* Weighing the flour is strongly recommended. Freshly milled flour can measure differently depending on the grain, grind setting, and how it is placed in the measuring cup.
* Pumpkin purée varies in moisture. Let the mixed dough rest for the full 20 minutes before adding more flour.
* The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, but it should not resemble batter or remain heavily pasted to your hands.
* A perfect windowpane test is not necessary. The bran in freshly milled whole-wheat flour can cause the dough to tear before it stretches completely translucent.
* Use softened—not melted—butter in the filling.
* The flour in the filling thickens the honey and helps keep it from leaking out while the rolls bake.
* Use plain pumpkin purée, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
* These cinnamon rolls are gently sweet. Add another tablespoon of honey to the drizzle if you prefer a sweeter topping.
* Store frosted rolls covered in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Overnight Instructions
Prepare and shape the cinnamon rolls, then place them in the baking dish. Cover tightly and refrigerate before completing the second rise. The following morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let them rise at room temperature for 60–90 minutes, or until puffy and beginning to touch. Bake as directed.