PUMPKIN SHAPE BREAD BUNS

 These Pumpkin Bread Buns recipe was shared by Happy Home Baker which I had bookmarked since last year but did not do it until recently.

The thought that it is difficult to make the buns look like pumpkins is the main reason why I took so long to try.  Thanks to HHB for her very informative post and I learned a lot from there.

These buns looks so cute and they aren't difficult to make if you watch video here.  I love the pumpkin paste filling for its' tastes, moisture and buttery aroma.  The sweetness is just perfect not overly sweet like the store-bought ones.

Ingredients for Filling
150 gm mashed steamed pumpkin
30 gm sugar
30 gm butter

1. Pan fry mashed pumpkin in a non stick pan together with sugar and butter until fairly dry and leaves the side of pan clean.
2. Dish up and leave to cool. 
   
   
   

Ingredients for the bread dough

[makes 8 buns]

250 gm bread flour [I used 200 gm bread flour and 50 gm wholemeal flour]
15 gm  caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
80 ml milk
100 gm mashed pumpkin
1 tbsp butter
*8 pieces of kitchen twine [90 cm each] soak in oil

How to make the bread dough

1. Knead all the dough ingredients [except butter] in a mixing bowl into a rough dough. Add in butter and continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic.
2. Shape in a round ball, cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes or double in size.
3. Punch down dough. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each dough into smooth rounds.
4. Roll each dough into a round disc.  Wrap each dough with one heaped tablespoon of the pumpkin filling. Pinch and seal the seam tightly.  
5. For each wrapped dough, place seam side down on the middle of a kitchen twine, wrap the kitchen twine around the dough to form 8 segments [note-do not wrap too tight].
6. Place seam side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper with some space in between. Leave  to proof for  about 40 minutes or double in size.
7. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush lightly with melted butter.
8. Remove from oven and leave to cool on wire rack.
9. Remove the kitchen twine and store immediately in an airtight container.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Note: If there are any leftovers after the second day, store them in the fridge, reheat/warm in oven before serving.