Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls – Samantha Rasmussen
Yield: 4 Dozen Rolls

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups warm milk
¼ cup butter, softened or melted (I warm it with the milk above)
2 cups mashed cooked pumpkin
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup wheat germ or whole wheat flour
10-12 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
7 teaspoons dry yeast

Instructions:
1. In large mixing bowl, combine sugar, water, milk, butter, pumpkin, and salt. Mix well.
2. Add wheat germ, 7-8 cups of the flour, and yeast. Mix, and then continue adding flour and kneading until dough is elastic and not sticky.
3. Place dough in greased bowl; grease top of dough, cover with a towel, and set in a warm place until doubled (about 60-90 minutes).
4. Punch dough down and divide into thirds. Divide each third into 16 pieces and shape into balls.
5. Place on greased baking sheets, and grease tops. (I use two 11x15-inch baking sheets, and put 24 rolls on each.) Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until tops are golden. Remove to wire racks and cover with a towel. Brush tops with butter if desired, as soon as rolls are removed to the wire racks. Serve warm with butter.


Notes: If you use a kitchen aid, take the dough out of the mixing bowl and kneed the last few cups of flour in by hand - otherwise the dough will get stuck in the springs above the mixing attachment. ...Or if you cut the recipe in half, then the kitchen aid can do all of the work for you :)