Spelt “Pumpkin” Rolls
This is one of those little things you can do to make a dish special. I was making rolls for a diner with friends. I wanted something to fit the Halloween theme so I used twine to help the rolls rise and look like little pumpkins. I used spelt flour because I like it. I also did NOT use pumpkin pie seasoning. I just added a bit of grated orange zest and chopped up pumpkin seeds. They were so simple to make.
Of course, you can make the little pumpkins with any roll dough you like. You can also make a large loaf instead of rolls. For a large loaf I would definitely wind the twine around 4 times. For these rolls, which weren’t that big, I rolled the twine around 3 times. Trying to space it evenly.
These were a fun addition to the dinner that night. These would also be great for Thanksgiving or any fall dinner, really. I can give you one really solid hint on this recipe – oil the twine before wrapping it around the roll dough. Removing it later was a breeze. And you don’t have to wrap it crazy tight. The dough will rise and the twine won’t and you’ll get the pumpkin ridges you seek. I also thought about adding a small pretzel stick piece as a stem after they had baked, but never got around to doing it. I think they would look cute with the pretzels. Maybe next time.
So enough chatter, here is the recipe. Enjoy!
Spelt “Pumpkin” Rolls
3 ¼ c. whole spelt flour
1 pkt. Active dry yeast
1 c. water
¼ c. honey
¼ c. oil
1 T. orange zest
1 t. salt
¼ c. chopped pumpkin seeds
Oil for the twine
12-15 pieces of white or brown twine
Place 2 c. flour, yeast and salt in a medium bowl. Heat together water, honey, oil and zest until warm (120-130 degrees) Add water mixture to spelt mixture and beat on low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds, or until moistened. Beat on high 3 minutes. Stir in pumpkin seeds. Stir in enough spelt to make a soft dough. Cover bowl with towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Grease a baking sheet and set aside. Use a rubber scraper to transfer dough onto floured surface. Divide dough into 12- 15 pieces, depending on the size of the rolls you want. Shape each piece into rolls, using extra flour to prevent sticking. Dip twine in oil and then wrap around the rolls 3-4 times to make even segments. Tuck ends of twine under each roll as you make them. Repeat with remaining rolls. Place on baking sheet and cover with a towel. Allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until rolls are light brown on top. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. When rolls are still warm, but cool enough to handle, gently unwind and remove the twine. Makes 12 “pumpkin”rolls.
Note: I would be lying if I said I remembered to measure the twine before using it. I cut a pieces of twine, rolled it around a roll three times and it was perfect. The next one, and several other times I cut the twine a little too short. When that happened I just cut another piece of twine to finish that roll. I’ll guess at about 15-18 inches, but I’m not trustworthy, so measure your first one and adjust from there. I also started tying the twine on the first couple of rolls then it occurred to me to just tuck the twine under. So much easier.
