Add these slightly sweet, light-gold rolls to your bread basket for a tasty change of pace. To make the pretty rolls pictured above, see our video on how to shape knots.
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, and mix and knead — using your hands, a stand mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and allow it to rise for 60 to 75 minutes, until it's puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk.
Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces. Round each piece into a smooth ball, or shape into knots.
For pull-apart rolls, lightly grease two 9" round cake pans or one 9" x 13" pan. Space 12 rolls in each of the 9" pans or all 24 rolls in the 9" x 13" pan. Alternatively, for individual rolls or knots, lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets; space 12 rolls on each pan.
Cover the pans, and allow the pull-apart rolls to rise until they're crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. For individual rolls, let them rise until nicely puffy, though they probably won't touch one another. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Uncover the rolls and gently brush them with the egg wash. Bake the rolls for about 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown, tenting them with foil for the final 5 to 10 minutes of baking if they appear to be browning too quickly. A digital thermometer inserted into the middle of a center roll should register at least 190°F.
Remove the rolls from the oven, and brush with melted butter. After a couple of minutes, turn the rolls out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
Serve warm. Store completely cooled rolls, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Want to use fresh pumpkin purée rather than canned? It’s simple to make your own; see how it’s done.
