Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (No Yeast)

These easy Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are made without yeast, combining the tangy flavor of sourdough with the sweetness of pumpkin. Topped with honey butter, these soft, tender rolls are the perfect side for Thanksgiving.

Want a version without sourdough? Try my yeast pumpkin bread rolls and enjoy delicious dinner rolls in just 3 hours!

These are my favorite fall dinner rolls. They’re just as good as my sourdough discard rolls and super easy to make!

Ingredients and Substitutions

This sourdough recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving! It makes 16 sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls without yeast.

Sourdough Starter: You’ll need an active sourdough starter for this recipe. Be sure to feed it 6 to 8 hours before making the dough. For this recipe, use a starter with a 1:1:1 ratio—equal parts water and flour.

Tip: If you want to use sourdough discard, you’ll need to add commercial yeast and adjust the rise times accordingly. Add 7g of instant dry yeast and follow my discard dinner rolls rising times as a guide.

Milk: I use 2% or whole milk, but you can use any dairy or plant-based milk you prefer.

Butter: I usually bake with unsalted butter, but this recipe works with salted butter too.

Pumpkin Puree: Use 100% pumpkin puree for these sourdough rolls. I haven’t tried making them with pumpkin pie filling, but if you do, expect a sweeter roll since pumpkin pie filling contains sugar.

Pumpkin Spice Mix: I love adding pumpkin spice to these rolls for extra flavor. If you’re not a fan, you can leave it out. Want to make your own pumpkin spice mix? Check out my favorite blend in this pumpkin spice granola post.

All-Purpose Flour: Do not use bread flour for these rolls. All-purpose flour will give you a much softer, fluffier roll.

How to Make Them + Baking Schedule

Start by feeding your starter 4 to 8 hours before making the dough. When I make sourdough dinner rolls, I feed my starter right after breakfast, around 8 AM.

This dough requires kneading! Since it’s a sticky dough, using a stand mixer makes it easier. By 1 PM, my sourdough starter is bubbly and ready to bake with.

Step 1. Mix the sourdough starter with the milk until the starter dissolves.

Step 2. In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms. Using the dough hook, knead for 8 minutes. The dough should be silky and tacky, with a good windowpane, sticking to the bottom of the bowl but not the sides.

Hand Kneading: If you’re kneading by hand, do so on a floured surface for about 12 minutes. It might help to wet your hands.

Step 3. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot for the first rise. Sourdough is temperature-sensitive—during winter, it might take longer, and during summer, it might rise faster. My dough takes about 6 and a half hours to double, so by 7 PM, it’s ready. You can use your oven’s proofing function or leave the dough in the oven with the light on.

Step 4. Divide the dough into 9, 12, or 16 equal parts, depending on the size you prefer. If cold fermenting, shape the dough straight from the fridge. To have these rolls ready by lunch, I shape them around 9 AM, after a night of cold fermentation.

After the first rise, you can either move on to shaping or opt for an overnight cold fermentation if you want to continue baking the next day. If cold fermenting, do so after the dough has risen 75%. I usually opt for cold fermentation, so I can bake the next day without rushing. When refrigerating the dough, cover it well to prevent it from developing a skin.

Step 5. To shape into a ball, fold each piece of dough over itself 4 to 6 times, then pinch the seams together to close.

Step 6. Place the balls seam-side down on a lined baking sheet or in an oven-safe dish. Cover and let them rise for about 2 to 3 hours, or until they look puffy and light.

You can let them rise in the oven with the light on or use the proofing function. Room temperature dough proofs in about 2 and a half hours, while cold-fermented dough takes about an hour longer. Mine is usually ready to bake around 11:30 AM.

Step 7. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Mix honey with melted butter for the wash, and brush the tops of the rolls with half of it just before baking. They’ll take 25-30 minutes to bake.

Step 8. Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining honey butter to ensure an extra soft top crust. Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Why Is My Pumpkin Roll Sticky?

A sticky dough usually means you’ve added more moisture than the recipe calls for. This can happen if you’ve used more sourdough starter than necessary (especially if measuring by cups) or if you’ve used homemade pumpkin puree, which often contains more moisture than store-bought.

To fix this, simply add a bit more flour. If the dough is too sticky, especially if it’s sticking to the sides of the stand mixer bowl, add more all-purpose flour and knead for another minute. Start with 2 tablespoons—you likely won’t need more than ¼ cup.

This is a very forgiving recipe. Just make sure you let the dough rise properly before baking, and everything will turn out great.

Expert Tips

• Using Homemade Pumpkin Puree? Homemade pumpkin puree often has more moisture than canned. If your dough feels too sticky during kneading, add 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup more flour. Check out the recipe video to see the dough’s ideal consistency. The dough should stick to the bottom of the bowl but not the sides.
• Avoiding Dense Rolls (1): Respect the rising time—during the first rise, the dough needs to increase by at least 75%. The second rise is complete when the rolls look puffy and feel light.
• Avoiding Dense Rolls (2): Activate your starter before using it. Feed it and let it fully rise before using. Make sure it doubles and is strong enough to bake with. Do not use sourdough discard for these rolls—if you’re looking for a quick sourdough bake, I have an easy discard dinner rolls recipe.

How to Store Them

After the rolls have cooled, store them in an airtight container or bread keeper. They’ll stay fresh for about 5 days. To reheat, microwave them for about 30 seconds.

You can also freeze these rolls. Let them cool completely before placing them in a freezer-safe bag, squeezing out as much air as possible before sealing. The rolls will keep for up to 3 months.

More Pumpkin Recipes

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📖 Recipe

Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Tatiana Kamakura

These easy Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are made without yeast, combining the tangy flavor of sourdough with the sweetness of pumpkin. Topped with honey butter, these soft, tender rolls are the perfect side for Thanksgiving.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

10 hours hrs

Total Time 10 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Course Sourdough Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 16 rolls

Calories 193 kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ½ cup sourdough starter
• ▢ ½ cup milk
• ▢ 3 tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ 1 cup pumpkin puree canned pumpkin
• ▢ 4 tablespoon butter melted
• ▢ 1¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter melted
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

 

• Start by feeding your starter 4 to 8 hours before making the dough. When I make sourdough dinner rolls, I feed my starter right after breakfast, around 8 AM. By 1 PM, my sourdough starter is bubbly and ready to bake with.

Dough

• Mix the sourdough starter with the milk until the starter dissolves.
• In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms. Using the dough hook, knead for 8 minutes. The dough should be silky and tacky, with a good windowpane, sticking to the bottom of the bowl but not the sides.
• Hand Kneading: If you’re kneading by hand, do so on a floured surface for about 12 minutes. It might help to wet your hands.

First Rise + Cold Fermentation

• Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot for the first rise. Sourdough is temperature-sensitive. Meaning that, during winter, it might take longer, and during summer, it might rise faster. My dough takes about 6 and a half hours to double, so by 7 PM, it’s ready. You can use your oven’s proofing function or leave the dough in the oven with the light on.
• After the first rise, you can either move on to shaping or opt for an overnight cold fermentation if you want to continue baking the next day. If cold fermenting, do so after the dough has risen 75%. I usually opt for cold fermentation, so I can bake the next day without rushing. When refrigerating the dough, cover it well to prevent it from developing a skin.

Shaping

• Divide the dough into 9, 12, or 16 equal parts, depending on the size you prefer. If cold fermenting, shape the dough straight from the fridge. To have these rolls ready by lunch, I shape them around 9 AM.
• To shape into a ball, fold each piece of dough over itself 4 to 6 times, then pinch the seams together to close.

Second Rise

• Place the balls seam-side down on a lined baking sheet or in an oven-safe dish. Cover and let them rise for about 2 to 3 hours, or until they look puffy and light.
• You can let them rise in the oven with the light on or use the proofing function. Room temperature dough proofs in about 2 and a half hours, while cold-fermented dough takes about an hour longer. Mine is usually ready to bake around 11:30 AM.

Baking

• Preheat your oven to 375°F. Mix honey with melted butter for the wash, and brush the tops of the rolls with half of it just before baking. They’ll take 25-30 minutes to bake.
• Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining honey butter to ensure an extra soft top crust. Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Using Homemade Pumpkin Puree? Homemade pumpkin puree often has more moisture than canned. If your dough feels too sticky during kneading, add 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup more flour. Check out the recipe video to see the dough’s ideal consistency. The dough should stick to the bottom of the bowl but not the sides.

After the rolls have cooled, store them in an airtight container or bread keeper. They’ll stay fresh for about 5 days. To reheat, microwave them for about 30 seconds.

You can also freeze these rolls. Let them cool completely before placing them in a freezer-safe bag, squeezing out as much air as possible before sealing. The rolls will keep for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1rollCalories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 219mgPotassium: 90mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2520IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 2mg

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