Pumpkin Coffee Cake Buns — Soft Spiced Morning Treats

For the Bun Dough

• 14 Tbs Plant Milk 207ml
• ¼ cup Softened Vegan Butter 60ml
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar 100g
• 1 teaspoon Dry Yeast
• ½ cup Canned Pumpkin 110g
• 3 cup All Purpose Flour 375g
• 2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
• ½ teaspoon Salt

For the Streusel Topping

• ⅓ cup Light Brown Sugar 70g
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar 100g
• ½ teaspoon Salt 3g
• ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 10 Tbs Vegan Butter 140g
• 1½ cup Cake Flour + 2 Tbs 195g

For the Pumpkin Layer

• 1 cup Solid Pumpkin 226g
• ½ cup Light Brown Sugar 100g
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon Ginger
• ⅙ teaspoon Ground Clove

• Prepare the bun dough: combine the dry yeast with warm plant milk and a pinch of sugar. After about 5 minutes the mixture should be frothy, indicating the yeast is active.
• Place all dough ingredients, including the frothy yeast milk, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low for 2 minutes, then stop to scrape the bowl so the dough incorporates evenly.
• If the dough is very sticky and won’t cleanly gather into a ball, add one or two tablespoons of flour, a little at a time.
• Mix another 5 minutes, then turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead about 30–40 strokes until smooth. Add flour sparingly so the dough remains soft and elastic.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rest at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• While the dough rests, mix the pumpkin filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• Prepare the streusel by creaming cold vegan butter with the brown and granulated sugars for about 2 minutes.
• Add cinnamon, salt and the flour to the butter-sugar mixture and mix just until combined. Place the streusel in the freezer until you are ready to use it.
• After the dough has rested for an hour, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). If you have a pizza stone, place the pan on it for the first part of baking for a crisper bottom.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, gently press out the gases, and roll it into a rectangle sized to fit a greased 9″ x 13″ pan (no parchment).
• Dock the dough lightly with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking.
• Spread the pumpkin filling evenly over the dough.
• Distribute the streusel across the top using a light, fluffy motion—don’t press it into the dough. Aim to cover the entire surface evenly.
• Bake on the center rack (on the pizza stone if using) at 375°F for 30 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 325°F, move the pan off the stone to another rack, and bake an additional 15–20 minutes until the streusel is fully baked and not doughy in the center. Check by moving a larger streusel piece aside with a fork to ensure the filling beneath is set.
• Allow to cool until warm, slice into portions, and optionally dust with powdered sugar before serving.