Pumpkin Buchteln | Pumpkin Yeast Rolls

Think soft and fluffy dinner rolls but sweet and full of pumpkin flavor, these pumpkin buchteln are the perfect addition to breakfast or brunch!

What are Buchteln?

Buchteln are very traditional in Germany and this recipe is based on a recipe that was passed down to me by my Oma. They originated in the Bohemia region of Czechia and then became a part of Austrian and German culture.
These buns are usually filled with something such as jam but these are full of pumpkin flavor and topped with cinnamon sugar.

Pumpkin Puree vs Pumpkin Pie filling?

Pumpkin pie filling tends to have a lot of sugar added to it and some have the spices already added. In order to control all of these elements it is important to buy pure pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling.

Can chocolate chips be added?

Yes! If you’re like me, you love chocolate chip pumpkin bread. To add chocolate chips, simply knead 150 grams of chocolate chips into the proofed dough before shaping the buchteln.

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Tips for making Pumpkin Buchteln

1. Whenever you are making a yeasted dough make sure to knead it for a while, the dough should become one clean ball with relatively smooth sides. Keep kneading for a couple minutes after it comes together. For this recipe, the dough is very soft so I tend to turn the mixer to medium speed, to make the process go faster, but this is not recommended for kitchen aid mixers.
2. You can use the stand mixer to knead in the chocolate chips; however, I find it easiest to do it by hand. Do not worry about the chocolate chips falling out, if they do just stick them back in the dough and continue kneading until the chocolate chips are fully dispersed.
3. If you want the buchteln to have shiny tops, brush the top with 1 teaspoon of melted butter or use the paper wrapper from the butter and wipe it on the tops of the buns immediately after they come out of the oven.

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Ingredients for Buchteln

• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour will work for these! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store. This recipe uses one full egg and one egg yolk. The egg yolk adds extra richness to the rolls.
• Sugar: This recipe uses sugar in the buns and is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar after baking.
• Milk: The buchteln use milk as the liquid in the dough; however, they will also work with non-dairy milks such as almond or light coconut milk.
• Butter: The butter adds moisture to the buns as well as makes them softer! It’s important that the butter is at room temperature, otherwise it will cool down the dough and be difficult to incorporate.
• Yeast: In this recipe, instant yeast is used. However, if you are using active dry, simply bloom the yeast in the milk alone first and then proceed with the recipe.
• Vanilla extract: I like to add a teaspoon of vanilla to give the buns extra flavor and enhance the chocolate.
• Pumpkin Puree: As mentioned before, any pumpkin puree will work as long as it isn’t pumpkin pie filling.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger: All of these ground spices create the classic pumpkin spice flavor. Extra cinnamon is used for the cinnamon sugar topping.

Ingredients for Honey Butter

• Honey: Any honey will work for this.
• Butter: It’s important that the butter is very soft to incorporate the honey well.

How to make Pumpkin Yeast Rolls

Make the buchteln dough

• Start by warming the milk until it is just warm to the touch – it should not exceed 100 degrees F.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, and yeast. Then add in the remaining ingredients.
• Knead the mixture with the dough hook on the stand mixer for 10-15 minutes on low to medium speed. This dough is soft so while it should eventually pull away from the sides and bottom of the bowl it could take an extra five minutes.
• Remove the dough and shape it into a ball. Lightly grease the mixing bowl that you were just using and place the ball of dough back in. Then cover the bowl with a towel or plastic and place somewhere warm for 30-45 min. The dough should double in size.

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Honey Butter

• In a medium bowl use a spoon or spatula to vigorously stir the butter and honey together. Make sure the butter is very soft otherwise it will be difficult to incorporate the honey.
• Set aside.

Shaping & Baking

• After the dough has doubled, divide it into 15 even pieces.
• Working with one portion at a time, flatten into a 3″-4″ disk. Then, holding the disk in one hand, use the other hand to bring up the sides of the disk into the center. There should now be one smooth side and one side with all of the edges tucked up.

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• Place the dough smooth side up on a clean work surface. Shape your hand into a slight claw and roll the dough around in a circular motion on the surface until the seam at the bottom has sealed.
• Place the fully sealed buns into a 9×13 baking pan. There should be 3 buns across and 5 buns down. Ensure that the buns are evenly spaced so they have room to expand.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cover the pan with a towel or plastic and place somewhere warm for another 30 min until the buns have grown and are now fully touching each other.
• Bake the buns on the middle rack for 20-25 min until they are a deep golden brown.
• While they bake combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Immediately after they come out of the oven, brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle liberally with the cinnamon sugar.
• Serve the pumpkin buchteln, while still warm, optionally with a side of honey butter.

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