Pumpkin Brioche
Makes two dozen rolls
1 cup golden raisins, soaked in apple cider overnight
½ cup warm milk (not hot!)
¼ cup (4 Tbsp) honey
4 tsp instant dried yeast (I also add ¼ cup of my sourdough starter)
5 cups bread flour
1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 15oz can solid pack pumpkin
18 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1) The night before baking, soak 1 cup of golden raisins in apple cider (or water).
2) In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk together the warm milk, honey and yeast (and starter, if you choose). Let the mixture bloom for five minutes while you whisk together the dry ingredients in another bowl.
3) Add the eggs and pumpkin to the bloomed yeast mixture and whisk to combine. Add the dry mixture and mix on a slow speed for 2 minutes to combine the ingredients, then increase the speed to medium for 10 minutes to form a soft, elastic dough.
4) Add the butter, in 1 Tbsp pieces, and continue to mix on medium speed for a further 5 minutes until the dough is silky smooth.
5) Scrape the dough into a large greased glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size (about 1 hour). Drain the raisins and add to the dough. Fold in the raisins and re-cover with plastic wrap. Let rise again for 20 minutes.
6) Line two muffin tins with papers. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 24 even pieces. (I divide the dough in half, form each half into a thick log and then divide each log into 12). Shape the pieces into balls and place them in the paper liners. Cover the tins with plastic wrap and let rest/rise while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
7) Bake the rolls on the center rack of the oven, one tin at a time. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the tin and bake for another 6-7 minutes. Remove the tins to a wire rack to cool at least ten minutes before removing the rolls to serve.
