I have a recipe for your Thanksgiving table this week—or your autumn table, really. These squash rolls are based off ones from a Sunset Magazine cookbook from the seventies that my mom used to cook from regularly (she is now gluten-free, so I am carrying the torch). It features the yellowed, dense food photography of the era, but the recipes are lasting favorites for me. These rolls are fragrant with spice and slightly sweet, and other than the time investment of a yeasted bread, quite simple to make. I used pureed roasted butternut squash for this batch, but canned pumpkin would be a great shortcut.

Squash Pull-Apart Rolls
Adapted from Sunset Cookbook of Breads

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup pureed squash (canned pumpkin is fine!)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour

Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until butter melts. Cool to about 110 degrees and dissolve yeast in the arm milk. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add milk/butter/yeast mixture, sugar, salt, squash and spices, beat well to blend. Switch to dough hook and gradually add four cups to flour with the mixer running on low. Continue to knead with the dough hook for about ten minutes, adding flour as necessary. Dough will be sticky, but should pull apart from the side of the bowl. Turn dough out on a flour board and knead a few times, tucking into a ball. Place in a greased bowl and cover, let rise in a warm place until doubled (1 1/2 to 2 hours). Punch down dough and knead briefly on a floured surface. Divide dough into 32 equal pieces and tuck each piece into a smooth ball. Grease two 9-inch round baking pans and place 16 balls in each pan. Cover and let rise until almost doubled (about one hour). Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until browned.

—SCB