A step by step guide to the processes behind leavening enriched breads.
- Cinnamon rolls are great and pumpkin has a familiarity of the fall season.
- Ingredients list.
- The steps and procedures of leaving enriched breads.
- How to get the yeast to work. How proteins of the flour bring a desired structure in your roll and added fats for texture.
- Use technique, time, and temperatures to your advantage. As certain conditions are met your dough will become alive and ready to bake.
- Roll out, fill, cut, place, bake, and glaze your treat.
As the weather cools while fall and winter seasons are here familiar smells fill kitchens. Pumpkin and cinnamon are some of my favorites at this time of year. There are a couple of things that are important when doing this recipe but in general traditional cinnamon rolls are easy and delicious. This recipe is a twist on memories of smells that takes me on a trip to the holidays.
Ingredients list.
Dry
3 C of bread flour, reserve ½ C for kneading
1 salt
¼ C sugar
Wet
8 oz. pumpkin
¼ butter (melted or room temp.)
1 t vanilla
1 egg
¾ C milk(100-110F) with .5 oz. active dry yeast bloomed
Filling
¼ C butter
¾ C brown sugar
2 T cinnamon
Glaze
½ to 1 ounce of chia spices steeped in 1-2 C of water and reduced to 2 t.
1t vanilla
1 t heavy cream (additional 1t depending on your desired consistency)
1 C powdered sugar
So let us get started.
Step 1. Get a nice reduction of pumpkin. A really concentrated flavor. Here I used this one 16 oz can of pumpkin and reduced it by half in a pan by stirring constantly for around ten minutes on medium heat. Remember the less surface area of the pan the longer his process will take. Let cool until below 100 fahrenheit.
Step 2. Gather the dry ingredients like Bread flour and salt in a large enough bowl.
Step 3. Warm milk to 110 Fahrenheit and add active yeast. Stir and let bloom for several minutes.
Step 4. Add wet ingredients to the dry and combine into a shaggy ball. In a dough mixer or by hand this enriched dough should be kneaded for around ten minutes. This step of kneading uses the high gluten content of the bread flour to build structure for the bread to rise and stay that way from the time of proofs to final bake.
Step 5. This ball of dough will be left covered to rise. I used a greased bowl and plastic wrap at around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 6. Roll this dough ball into a large square around a quarter of an inch thick. Then spread the filling evenly across the flat surface and roll it up into a log shape. This log then will be cut into 1-to-1.5-inch slices and placed into a greased/lined parchment baking vessel. Leave a little space between each one.
Step 7. Cover and let double in size under similar conditions as before. One could use a proofer to control humidity and temperature levels for optimal product. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 min or until internal temperatures reach 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
