Sourdough Pumpkin Pecan Pie Danish Buns

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These Sourdough Pumpkin Pecan Pie Danish Buns might be the best thing I’ve baked this fall, and I can’t wait for you to try them! I had the idea to combine a soft, fluffy pumpkin dough with a sweet cream cheese filling, and top it with a gooey pecan pie filling and oat crumble. The result is somewhere between pecan pie and a Danish, with a little bit of everything in each bite. I know you’ll be in heaven, just like I was.

Tools You’ll Need:

• Stand mixer with dough hook- I highly recommend a strand mixer for this dough as it is very enriched, but if you’re used to kneading by hand you can do that too.
• Spatula- for mixing fillings.
• Mixing bowls- for crumble and cheesecake filling.
• Saucepan or small pot- for mixing tangzhong and the pecan pie filling.
• Whisk- for stirring tangzhong.
• Digital kitchen scale (optional)– for accurate measuring I like to use a digital kitchen scale, especially helpful with sourdough baking and weighing out the buns.
• Measuring cups and spoons– for measuring ingredients if not using a scale.
• Kitchen thermometer (optional)- helpful for tangzhong and checking internal temperatures. This is my go-to kitchen thermometer.
• Hand beaters- to mix the cream cheese filling.
• Parchment paper– to line pans to avoid buns burning while baking. You can also use silicone mats if you prefer.
• 2 half size baking sheets– for baking buns.
• Piping bag or ziplock– for piping cream cheese filling.

Gather Your Ingredients:

1. Whole milk– milk enriches this dough making it soft and tender. You’ll also use milk to make your tangzhong.
2. Egg + egg yolk- adds tenderness and structure to the dough working as a binder; you’ll use yolk in the cream cheese filling.
3. Sourdough starter- If you make this recipe 100% sourdough you’ll use your starter to feed a sweet levain, or you can make the discard option and add yeast. Any discard cold or fresh is fine.
4. Instant dry yeast (optional)- This is the leavening agent for the dough if you do the discard option, and speeds up the process! I love this Scratch Gold Yeast and always have it on hand. Please note instant dry yeast isn’t the same as active dry yeast which you have to bloom to activate. I’ll include an active dry yeast swap under FAQ’s.
5. Unsalted butter- enriches dough; you’ll also use this in the pecan pie filling and crumble.
6. Pumpkin Puree- You’ll want to use 100% real pumpkin puree for this dough, I love the brand Libby’s. Do not use pumpkin pie filling!
7. White Sugar- sweetens the dough and cuts the tang of the starter with a sweet levain.
8. Brown Sugar- for the pecan pie filling and the oat crumble.
9. Sea salt- balances sweet and sour flavors.
10. All-purpose flour- I recommend AP flour over bread flour to create a more tender crumb.
11. Cinnamon and ginger- Creates that classic pumpkin spice flavor.
12. Vanilla extract– Enhances the flavor and brings warmth.
13. Cream cheese– gives filling that classic Danish taste. Only use real cream cheese not spread.
14. Maple syrup (optional)- adds the maple depth to the pecan pie filling; you can swap this for brown sugar.
15. Pecans- you can use whole or chopped pecans for the pie filling.
16. Heavy Cream- caramelizes the pecan pie filling.
17. Rolled Oats- adds texture and flavor to the oat crumble; don’t use steel cut oats.

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Sweet Levain (Night Before)

To start your dough, you’ll want to mix a sweet levain the night before. If this sounds intimidating, it’s not! It’s literally just adding sugar to your starter.

In a clean jar, mix your mother starter with the flour, water, and sugar. Give it a good stir, and allow it to rest at room temperature (optimally 73-75 degrees F). I like to mark the volume in my jar with a rubber band so it’s easy to asses the rise the next morning. When the sweet levain has doubled in size, it’s time to mix your pumpkin dough.

Sourdough Discard Option: If you make this recipe with discard and yeast, skip this step.

Step 2: Make the Tangzhong

Before you get started on mixing your dough, you’ll make your tangzhong. Whisk milk and flour together in a small saucepan.

Cook the tangzhong over medium/low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a paste that is similar to pudding (about 2–3 minutes). For precision, use your digital thermometer and heat to 148-155 F. Do not overheat the tangzhong, or your mixture will be too thick.

Scrape the tangzhong into a bowl immediately to prevent it from overcooking, cover it loosely, and let cool to room temperature before adding to your dough.

Prepare your dough while tangzhong cools.

Step 3: Mix the Dough

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or large mixing bowl, add the whole milk, sweet levain, egg, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin puree, all of the tangzhong, cinnamon and ginger.

Whisk ingredients together quickly, it’s okay if it’s lumpy.

Sourdough Discard Option: If you’re making this recipe with discard and yeast, add the discard and instant yeast instead of the sweet levain to the wet ingredients and whisk in.

Add your flour and salt into your wet ingredients.

Mix the dough on low until a shaggy dough forms, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl if needed. If you’re using your hands, knead the dough until it comes together.

This is a higher hydration dough from the pumpkin, so be aware it will be sticky!

Once the dough has come together, add the softened butter a tablespoon at a time mixing each tablespoon in until adding the next.

Use a dough scraper to scrape the edges of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed in.

Continue mixing the dough on medium-low (speed 2–3) for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and tacky but not sticky.

Hand mixing directions: knead the dough until the butter has fully been incorporated, and the dough is smooth and tacky.

Mixing Notes: If kneading the dough in a mixer or if dough is very wet when mixing by hand, add an additional 25 grams (3 Tablespoons) of flour and mix into dough. Make sure to work flour in completely and assess if you need more flour.

Do not add more than 50 grams of flour at this stage, or you will lose the high hydration of the dough and end up with a dense donut.

If using a stand mixer, dough can become more warm and sticky and I have found kneading dough with my hand (perform a set of stretch and folds) for a minute after mixing in my stand mixer really helps bring the dough together.

Step 4: Bulk Fermentation

Stand mixer directions: perform one set of stretch and folds after 30 minutes to strengthen your dough.

Hand mixing directions: perform 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30 minute intervals at the beginning of bulk fermentation. After stretch and folds are completed, cover dough and allow to continue proofing.

Sourdough Discard Option: After the 20 minute rest, knead the dough by hand for a minute or two to get the dough even softer and to work the gluten. Once you’ve finished this kneading step, cover the bowl again.

Let the dough rise at 75–80°F until doubled in size, this takes about 5–6 hours. If your house is very cold, you can put dough in the oven with the light on for a warmer atmosphere. This proofing time is a general guide, this process may take longer the key is to assess when the dough has nearly doubled that’s when it’s ready.

Sourdough Discard Option: Allow the dough to rest about 1 1/2 hours at room temperature and the dough is 75–90% risen. You don’t want this dough to proof double fully at this rising point. If the dough proofs sooner than the time I mentioned, shape it. You want to watch the dough to make sure it doesn’t overproof at this stage!

Overnight Fermentation: Once the dough has finished rising, you can cover and transfer to the refrigerator overnight for a longer ferment or you can skip this step and go straight to making your buns.

Step 5: Make Crumble Topping and Cream Cheese Filling

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl, then add the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Combine the crumble until its clumpy and crumbly. Set aside for later.

Make sure your cream cheese is completely softened before mixing the cream cheese filling.

Add the softened cream cheese and sugar to a medium bowl. Beat with a hand mixer for 2–3 minutes on high, until smooth and creamy.

Add the egg yolk, vanilla, flour, and salt to the cream cheese mixture. Beat on medium speed until combined.

Transfer the cream cheese filling to a piping bag or zip-top bag and chill for 15–20 minutes while the dough finishes rising.

The short chill makes the filling easier to pipe and helps it stay in the center of the buns.

Step 6: Make the Pecan Pie Filling

When the dough is almost done proofing, prepare the pecan pie filling. Chop the pecans to your desired size and set aside.

In a pot or saucepan, melt the butter over medium to low heat.

Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, heavy cream, and salt to the melted butter. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium to low heat, stirring often to avoid burning the caramel.

Once the caramel begins to bubble at the edges, simmer and whisk the caramel for 3-4 more minutes to fully dissolve the sugar and thicken the caramel slightly.

Remove the caramel from the heat immediately, and add the vanilla and pecans and stir them in. Let the pecan pie filling cool while you shape and proof the buns.

Step 7: Shaping and Final Proofing

Line 2 half size cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and spray lightly with cooking oil. Set side.

Grease a clean work surface with a little cooking spray, and transfer the dough from bowl to counter. Weight out 10 dough balls (roughly 110 grams), and shape them into tight balls.

Transfer the dough balls to prepared baking sheets and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Allow dough balls to proof about 1 hour at room temperature until puffy and almost doubled in size.

Sourdough Discard Option: Allow the buns to proof about 45 minutes if using the discard/yeasted option then shape the buns.

Don’t skip this step for proofing; For a light and fluffy bun it’s essential.

Optional Overnight Chill/Fermentation: If you want to transfer the dough balls to the frig at this time, you can transfer the covered baking sheets to the frig before proofing. Allow the buns to proof as directed when you want to bake the buns. The dough can be refrigerated up to 48 hours before baking.

Step 8: Assemble the Buns

Prepare an egg wash with 1 egg and 2 teaspoons of water in a small bowl. Beat together until smooth and set aside.

Gather your pecan pie filling, piping bag filled with cream cheese filling, and oat crumble.

Grease the back of a small glass or measuring cup or use your fingers to press a deep well in the center of each dough ball.

Snip about 1/4 inch off of the end of the bag filled with cream cheese filling. Pipe 2-3 Tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into each well in the center of the bun. Repeat this step until all of the buns are filled.

Spoon about 1 Tablespoon of the pecan pie filling on the top of the cream cheese filling. Use only half of the pecan pie filling to fill the buns, and reserve half to top the baked buns. I liked the texture best this way!

If the pecan pie filling has gotten too thick as it cooled, gently warm in on the stove on low and add a splash of heavy cream. Stir until its spoonable again and then use it.

Brush the outside ring of the buns with the egg wash. You can do this with a paper towel or a pastry brush.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons approximately of crumble around the edge of the buns where you brushed the egg wash.

Step 9: Bake the Buns

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Transfer the buns to the hot oven, and bake the buns for 22-25 minutes until golden brown and fillings are just set. Internal temperature should read around 195-200°F in bread portion of bun.

Avoid the cheesecake filling browning or cracking; if buns start to brown too much tent with foil if needed.

Cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes and allow the centers are set.

Use the remaining pecan pie filling to top the buns, this gives them all that wonderful caramel on top.

Enjoy!

Yields 10 Buns

How to Store:

Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to one day. Because of the cream cheese filling, these buns need to be refrigerated.

Refrigerator: Refrigerate up to 4 days in an air tight container. Reheat gently at 300°F for 5–7 minutes. Serve warm.

FAQ’S

If you loved this recipe, drop a comment and leave a star review and don’t forget to checkout more of my sourdough pumpkin recipes!

Sourdough Pumpkin Recipes:

• Sourdough Pumpkin Maple Bars
• Sourdough Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
• Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls