Butternut Squash Milk Bread Rolls
Butternut squash takes on the role of tangzhong (a flour and milk paste) in these bread rolls, keeping them moist and fluffy for days while also contributing an autumnal orange hue. These rolls are perfect for sopping up warm fall soups and if baked in loaf form, they make for excellent sandwiches and toasts.
Main Ingredients
- Mashed butternut squash: You can make mashed squash from steamed or roasted squash. If you use steamed, hold back on the milk in the recipe unless the dough isn’t coming together. I’ve only tested this recipe with butternut squash, but similar types of squash (kabocha, pie pumpkin, acorn) should work as well.
- Milk: As this is a milk bread, whole milk is preferred for fat and flavor content, but any sort of milk (dairy or non-dairy) will work. Consider supplementing lower-fat milks with a little oil or butter in the bread to keep it moist.
- Egg: An egg contributes richness and color to the bread but if you don’t eat eggs, you can substitute with a flax egg or around 50mL of milk.
- Flour: All-purpose works fine for this bread. If you decide to use bread flour, you may need to increase the liquid in the dough. Do not use cake flour.
- Dry milk powder: Adds flavor and helps keep the bread tender, but optional if you can’t find it.
This dough can be used in some other recipes as well! See below for a few options:
Butternut Squash Milk Bread Rolls
Course: Guides12
rolls15
minutes25
minutes2
minutesIngredients
130g (heaping half cup) mashed butternut squash
60–80g (¼–⅓ cup) whole milk (see note)
100g (scant half cup) sourdough discard OR 50g flour (scant ¼ cup) + 50g (3 tbsp) water
15–30g (1–2 tbsp) brown sugar or maple syrup
1 large egg (~55g), beaten
10g (1 tbsp) active dry yeast
300g (2½ cups) all-purpose flour
18g (2 tbsp) dry milk powder
¾ teaspoon (3g) kosher salt
optional ingredients: 28g (2 tbsp) oil or melted butter for an extra-soft crumb; beaten egg or milk to brush rolls
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, bread machine, or in a large bowl, stir the squash, milk, sourdough discard (if using), sugar/maple syrup, oil/butter (if using), and egg together until everything becomes a homogenous liquid.
- Mix the yeast, flour, milk powder, and salt together. Add it to the wet ingredients.
- Knead by hand or mixer for 10 minutes, or until a smooth, slightly sticky dough forms. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for 1–2 hours or until puffy and almost doubled. In the winter, I let my dough rise near a bowl of hot water.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and gently knead, deflating the air bubbles. Split it into 12 rolls of 57g each (see notes for loaf instructions).
- Shape each piece into a ball. Check out step 4 and the video in my Steamed Bun recipe for shaping details.
- Place the rolls in a greased 9-inch round cake pan and let them rise for ~45 minutes or until puffy and just cresting over the top of the pan.
- In the last 15 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 180 °C/350 °F. Optionally brush the rolls with egg wash or milk.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the rolls are browned. A thermometer inserted into the middle of a roll should read at least 90 °C/190 °F.
- Let cool in the oven for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before eating.
Notes
- If you use mashed steamed/boiled squash, start with less milk and add more if the dough appears dry. If you use mashed roasted squash, use a greater volume of milk.
- To make into loaf bread: Grease a 9″x5″ inch loaf pan. Roll out the deflated dough into a rectangle roughly 9 inches long on one side. From one of the 9-inch sides, begin rolling the dough into a log. Pinch the seam closed at the end and place into the loaf pan to let rise, seam side down.
