How to Make Super Delicious Pumpkin Sticky Buns

If you love cinnamon rolls, then you’re bound to love sticky buns. The way they’re made is by baking cinnamon rolls on top of a bed of caramel and nuts. Once cooled down after baking the tray is inverted revealing a delicious caramel layer on top.

I’ve made sticky buns in the past using walnuts and regular cinnamon rolls. It being pumpkin season I thought I’d try something new and unique by using pureed pumpkin as the liquid in the dough and toasted pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts for the topping.

My modifications resulted in an incredibly delicious creation. You can modify this recipe even further. Use pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon in the filling. Use other seeds or nuts instead of the pumpkin seeds for the topping.

If you want to make this recipe on the same day, then reduce the quantity of the pumpkin puree to 260g (9.2oz) and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature for 1.5 – 2 hours.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

280g (9.9oz) pumpkin puree or 190g (6.7oz) water

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

6g (0.21oz) salt

15g (0.53oz) butter

15g (0.53oz) sugar

300g (10.6oz) white bread flour

For the filling –

80g (2.8oz) sugar

8g (0.28oz) cinnamon

60g (2.1oz) softened butter

For the topping –

100g (3.5oz) butter

100g (3.5oz) sugar

50g (1.75oz) double (heavy) cream

50g (1.75oz) maple syrup or honey

2g (0.07oz) salt

150g (5.3oz) pumpkin seeds

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

Method

1. Peel, dice, and cook the pumpkin until completely soft. Leave it to cool down and mash it into a smooth paste. You can use a food processor, but even a fork will do the job.
2. Make the caramel. Combine the butter, sugar, cream, syrup, and salt in a medium sized pan. Place on high heat and bring up to a boil. Cook for exactly one minute from the point when it starts boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the caramel into a non-stick paper lined baking tray. Leave on the side.
3. Toast the seeds. Pour the seeds in a medium sized pan and toast on high heat for around 5 minutes. Pour the seeds evenly all over the caramel.
4. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, yeast, salt, butter, and sugar. Mix well. Add the white bread flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature 24C – 26C (75F – 79F). If your dough is at the correct temperature range, then refrigerate it right away for 30 minutes. If it turns out cooler like mine did, then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
5. Fold the dough and place it in the fridge to cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours.
6. Roll the dough out to a large rectangle. Spread the filling evenly leaving a strip bare dough at the top. Brush the bare dough with water to make it sticky.
7. Roll the dough up and seal it. Brush the roll with butter. Cut it into 12 equal pieces. Arrange the rolls on top of the caramel.
8. Cover and final proof for 2 hours.
9. Bake at 160C (320F) for 35 – 40 minutes.
10. Leave to cool down to room temperature. Invert and carefully peel off the baking paper. If the caramel has set too hard for your taste, then you can place the rolls in a warm oven for a few minutes to soften it up.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.