Make the dough:

Place warm milk, egg, sugar, and yeast in mixing bowl. Mix together and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Next, add sourdough starter, pumpkin, oil or butter, and vanilla to mixing bowl and mix to combine.

Next, add flour, salt, and spices, and knead with a dough hook or dough roller for a minute at speed one and then speed two for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the sides if needed. This is meant to be a soft dough, but if you find it to be incredibly sticky and wet, add a little more flour.

Once the dough comes together, cover and let it rise for 1-2 hours until it has doubled in size.

Make the filling:

While dough rises make the filling by combining all filling ingredients in a bowl and mixing and mashing well until a thick paste forms. Make sure your butter is very soft room temperature or this will be difficult.

Shape the rolls:

Place dough onto floured surface and roll to a large rectangle of about 9x13 inches. Spread filling all over the dough and starting on the long side, roll up tightly into a log.

Tip: If dough is very soft you can place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before slicing to make it a bit easier.

Slice into 12 even pieces, trimming the uneven ends if desire. 

Second rise and baking:

Place rolls in parchment lined (or well buttered) 9x13 baking dish or a 13x18 half sheet pan. You can give the rolls a bit more room on the larger sheet pan which is nice but both pans work well. Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise until puffy which will take 30 minutes to one hour depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

OPTIONAL overnight instructions:

When rolls have almost finished their 2nd rise at room temperature, you can cover them tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight to bake the next morning. Let the rolls sit at room temp for about 30 minutes before baking the next day.

This is what I always do as it's a great way to get all the work out of the way and just enjoy freshly baked cinnamon rolls and a clean kitchen the next morning. I offer these same instructions on my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls and people really seem to love that option. It's also great for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning!

Baking the rolls:

Optionally, drizzle a tablespoon of heavy cream on top of each roll just before baking. Bake the rolls in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes until browned and bubbly. You are looking for an internal temperature of 190-200 degrees F. Prepare frosting while they bake.

Make the Espresso Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a mixing bowl, place cream or milk and espresso powder. Stir to dissolve the espresso powder. Add soft butter, soft cream cheese, and vanilla to this mixture. Mix very well with a hand mixer. Add one cup of powdered sugar and continue mixing until creamy before adding second cup of powdered sugar. Mix again until combined and creamy. If you like a thicker frosting add more powdered sugar. 

Frosting the rolls:

When rolls are done baking, remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before frosting. If you like a thicker frosting, wait until the rolls have cooled for 30-40 minutes before frosting so that it doesn't melt into the rolls as much.

Dust tops with a little extra pumpkin spice if desired.