The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

Dough
3 1/4 c flour, or as needed
1/4 c sugar
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
1 to 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
2+ tablespoons cinnamon (I used 3+)
Cream Cheese Glaze
4 oz cream cheese (lite is okay), softened - let it sit out on the second rise or while rolls bake
2 cups confectioners' sugar
pinch salt, optional and to taste (helps balance the sweetness)
about 3 to 4 tablespoons half-and-half or cream, or as needed for consistency

Directions:

1. Dough - To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add 3 1/4 cups flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, yeast, salt; set aside.
2. In 2-cup glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. 
3. Add buttermilk and pumpkin to melted butter and warm to temperature, about 45 seconds on high power in the microwave. Until 125 degrees.
4. Add butter-buttermilk-pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
5. In a small bowl, crack and lightly whisk the egg, and add to mixing bowl.
6. Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to knead dough for about 7 minutes. .
7. Remove dough from the mixing bowl, spray a large bowl with cooking spray, place the dough in the bowl, and flip it over once so it's lightly oiled on both top and bottom.
8. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
9. While dough rises, line a 9x13-inch aluminum pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
10. Rolling Out the Dough - After dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Turn dough out onto a Silpat or floured countertop. With a rolling pin, roll it out to about 26-by-13-inches. Use the 13-inch side of the 9-x13 pan to eyeball it, no need use a ruler.
11. Filling - Using a knife or spatula, evenly spread butter over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch bare margin.
12. Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar and then the cinnamon over the top, and lightly pat it down with your fingertips to help it adhere.
13. Slicing the Dough - Starting with a long edge (the 26-inch side), roll the dough into a tightly wound log, with the seam side down.
14. Using a knife, make small hash marks about 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart (yields 20 to 24 rolls); or make bigger rolls and yield 12 to 16. Hash marks create less guesswork once you start slicing and things get messier and harder to eyeball where to slice; the hash marks are nice place-markers.
15. Use plain, unwaxed dental floss to slice the rolls. I highly recommend slicing the rolls with floss, not knives. Floss does not squish or compact the log like knives do.
16. Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan (I made 5 rows of 4 or 5 rolls across, and not all rows have same number of rolls; crowding is okay). Cover with plastic wrap.
17. Make Straight Through - Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
18. Or...Make as Overnight Rolls - Don't let rolls rise after they've been sliced and placed in covered pan. Place pan in refrigerator for up to 16 hours. Before baking, let the rolls rise at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
19. Baking -For either version, bake at 375F for about 15 to 17 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through (ovens, dough, and climates vary and so will baking duration, but 1 to 2 minutes matters in this recipe). Watch rolls like a hawk and don't overbake or they won't taste nearly as good. At 15 1/2 minutes my rolls were barely done and on the doughy side but I prefer this because it reminds me of Cinnabons; if you like less doughy rolls, bake longer.
20. Cream Cheese Glaze - In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, optional salt, 3 tablespoons cream, and whisk or beat with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and combined. Add cream as needed until desired consistency is reached.
21. Evenly pour glaze over rolls, lightly spreading with a spatula as necessary.
22. Serve immediately. Rolls are best warm and fresh, but will keep airtight at room temp for up to 4 days; reheat in micro for about 5 seconds to re-soften or as desired. I am comfortable keeping glazed rolls at room temp and do not recommend storing them in the fridge because they will dry out. Rolls can be made and baked to completion, and then frozen for up to 6 months; unthaw and glaze immediately prior to serving. I recommend baking them from start to finish and then freezing, rather than trying to freeze unbaked dough, if you want to make in bulk in advance.