Yeast breads have never been my forte. But in the spirit of trying new things, I decided to give them another shot.

For this recipe, I altered a combination of the Honey Butter Pumpkin Rolls & Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Averie Cooks.  I cut the sugar by about half & I subbed almost half the all-purpose flour with whole spelt flour for some extra fiber & flavor.

Of course, spelt can be temperamental &  in my experience, it’s notoriously sticky to work with when it comes to yeast doughs. So if you don’t want the hassle, you can stick with using only all-purpose flour. Or you might try using whole wheat pastry flour if you want a whole-grain flour that’s more cooperative.

And if you hate raisins? There’s a simple solution to that quandary – just leave them out! I promise, it’s that easy 😉

Though they’re good as is, they also pair well with plain or sweetened cream cheese, nut butters, honey butter, or a cinnamon honey butter if you want to go the extra mile.

They’re also pretty sturdy, so you can throw some in your backpack if you’re out for a longer hike & need to replenish some glycogen 😉

Cinnamon Raisin Pumpkin Rolls

Dry ingredients:
• 1 cup whole spelt flour (you could sub with whole wheat pastry flour or use all all-purpose flour if you prefer)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour + additional 1/4 cup for kneading
• 2 tablespoons cane sugar (or sugar substitute of your choice)
• 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) rapid rise yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice if you prefer)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup raisins or currants (optional)

Wet ingredients:
1/3 cup milk (or, I used 2 tablespoons of sour cream plus enough milk to reach 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons butter (I used salted)
1/2 cup canned (unflavored) pumpkin
1 large egg

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients, only adding 2 cups of flour to reserve a bit extra for kneading. Too much flour will lead to a tougher roll, so it’s better to err on the side of caution & add more later if you need it.  Mix well & set aside.

If you have a stand mixer with a dough attachment, or a bread machine, you can use them instead of mixing & kneading by hand.

In a 2-cup microwave safe bowl, combine the milk & butter until butter melts (heating for 15 to 20 seconds at a time). Once it’s fully melted, add the pumpkin & mix well. Make sure the mixture isn’t too hot, then add the egg & mix well. At this point, you may need to heat it for 15 to 30 seconds more until it’s warm (no more than 100 to 110° F), which will help activate the yeast.

Once the wet ingredients are warm, add them to the dry ingredients & mix well. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface & knead for 5 to 7 minutes.

Note that spelt flour tends to lead to stickier doughs, so you’ll likely have to add the extra 1/4 of all-purpose flour. Add 1 tablespoon at a time so you don’t overdo it. Typically you want to knead the dough until it’s “smooth & elastic,” but in my experience, spelt never quite gets to that super “smooth” stage. It always has a bit of stickiness to it, so I usually stop after I’ve added that extra 1/4 cup, even if it still has some stickiness to it (but it shouldn’t be a gloppy sticky mess – if it is, it needs more flour).

Add 1 teaspoon sunflower, canola, safflower or other mild-tasting oil to medium-sized bowl. Add dough & flip to coat, and create a ball (which should be easy at this stage). Place in bowl & cover with plastic wrap for 30 to 60 minutes, or until dough has doubled in size.

After it’s doubled,  place dough on nonstick surface (the oil helps keep it from sticking, but you can use a bit of flour if needed). Roll into small log & cut into 4 equal pieces. Then, cut each of those in half.

Gently roll each piece into a small roll & place in 9×13″ pan lined with parchment paper (or cooking spray), being sure not to crowd them.

Cover with plastic wrap & allow to rise until doubled in size, approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

When they’re almost fully risen, preheat the oven to 375° F.

Once ready, bake rolls for 15 to 17 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped.

Will keep for 3 to 4 days either on the counter or in the fridge.