pumpkin buns with spiced sugar

Alternate title to this post: Giant, Enormous Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes. Funny story about these pumpkin buns, they weren't supposed to be buns at all! As my alternate title suggests, they were supposed to be donut holes. Obviously that didn't work out as planned! Whoops. These were definitely an accident. A very delicious accident. So I can't complain, can I? 🙂

I had this idea in my head for the longest time, and I was so excited to go home last weekend so I could finally test it out! Pumpkin donut holes... that are baked! So they're good for you! It sounded like the perfect fall treat. What I did is I used my recipe for my Baked Sweet Potato Donuts, and subbed pumpkin in for sweet potatoes. Then the plan was that I would roll them out into small little balls, let them rise overnight, and have dainty little donut bites in the morning.  Imagine my surprise when I woke up and my donut holes were so GIANT that they filled the entire pan. THE ENTIRE PAN, Y'ALL. Ridiculous.

It had honestly gotten to the point where they were so big that you couldn't even really touch them. They were super sticky and full of air. So I decided to just go with it! I knew the taste was going to be delicious, it was just a matter of what to call them. So... Pumpkin Buns it is! Slathered in butter and spiced sugar. Kinda sorta like autumn in edible form. The best part is that these are basically like cinnamon spice rolls, except super easy. No rolling or cutting or filling... just knead your dough and split it into even little buns. Per-fec-tion.

Pumpkin Buns with Spiced Sugar
Adapted from Baked Sweet Potato Doughnuts
Yields: about 5 dozen buns

1 cup pure pumpkin puree
3 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted 
½ cup whole milk
1 packet instant dry yeast
½ cup white granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 egg yolks
3 cups all-purpose flour
for topping: melted butter, ½ cup white sugar + ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice

First, heat your milk up to about 105F {it should take just a few seconds in the microwave}, and mix in your yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes to activate! Pour the milk and yeast mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the sugars, salt, pumpkin spice, and vanilla extract. Mix, then add in the pumpkin puree, melted butter, egg, and egg yolks. Mix until well-combined. Switch to the dough hook attachment, and start adding the flour about ½ cup at a time. Keep mixing and adding until the dough is no longer sticky and pulls away from the sides. It's okay if you use more or less than the amount listed! Once it's ready, lightly flour a kneading surface, and dump the dough on top. Knead for a few minutes, then place the dough into a large greased bowl. Cut an X on top of the dough using a knife, and place the dough in a warm,  draft-free place for a few hours to rise. I suggest two hours minimum!
After the first rise, dump your dough out, and knead again. Prepare two baking sheets and line them with parchment paper or silicone liners. Pinch small amounts of dough off {about the size of a walnut}, roll between your hands, and place on your pan. Do not place them too close, as you want to give them room to rise! Once your pans are full, spray them with water {to prevent drying}, and set somewhere to rise once again. I usually make these in the evening, and set them in the oven to rise overnight. 
In the morning, remove buns from the oven, and preheat to 400F. Bake the buns for 7-9 minutes, until light golden brown and fragrant! As soon as you remove them from the oven, brush them with additional melted butter, and top with your spiced sugar. Serve warm, and enjoy!