Roasted Pumpkin & Carrot Soup with Rosemary Bacon Rolls [Recipe(s)!]

I find that on these crisp, fall days, when the breeze starts to turn toward winter and the first few snowflakes make an appearance here and there, there are few things more satisfying than a hot bowl of soup served with warm, fresh bread. If you haven’t had that experience, I hope this post will change that for you.

I was recently delighted to discover that my boss is also a blogger, with similar interests and tastes to my own. We both love the fall season, and we both love creating things in the kitchen to enhance its delight. Naturally, that meant the inevitable had to happen: a collaboration post from the two of us to you!

Rachel (who owns Anchor Coffee House with her husband) is a delightful, sweet person with a generous heart, a contagious laugh, and a confidence in the kitchen that brings about many a delicious recipe. For this post, she is the creator of the Roasted Pumpkin & Carrot Soup (which I can promise is wonderful), and I am the creator of its accompanying recipe, Rosemary Bacon Rolls… Which, warm from the oven and slathered in butter, pretty much can’t go wrong. In my opinion, anyway. You’ll have to let me know what you think!

To see the recipe for the soup, you can head on over to Rachel’s blog, Here! If it’s not up yet, it will be by the end of the day– so stay tuned!

To see the recipe for the rolls (which by the way is one of the simplest things), you’re in the right place – and you can scroll down for that recipe right here.

Of course, if you try either or both of these recipes, leave us a comment; we’d love to hear from you!

Rosemary Bacon Rolls
Makes about 10 large rolls

Ingredients:

Starter:
1/4 c. lukewarm water
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. dry active yeast

Add:
1 c. lukewarm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dry garlic powder
1 Tbsp (or 1/2 stem) fresh rosemary leaves, washed
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. real bacon bits
1/2 c. rolled oats
2-1/2 c. (approx) all-purpose flour
Extra olive oil
Black pepper, for sprinkling

Directions:
(1) Combine the starter ingredients in an 8-oz. glass cup; stir to dissolve the best you can, and allow to rest 10 minutes or until risen and bubbly. If the mixture doesn’t rise, it means the yeast is dead, and you will have to start again.

Note: If the water is too cold, the yeast won’t rise as well – and if it’s too hot, you can kill the yeast. This step is important if you’ve had the yeast on hand for a while, to make sure it’s still active – or, if you’re concerned that the temperature of the water isn’t good, this will help you figure out what works best, without wasting other ingredients.

(2) Combine the rest of the water, sugar, salt, garlic powder, rosemary, olive oil, and bacon with the yeast mixture, and stir to combine. Add the oats and about 1 cup of the flour. Mix well.

(3) Add the rest of the flour in 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup increments, mixing until it becomes too difficult to combine with a spoon. Turn out onto lightly floured work surface, and knead the dough, adding the rest of the flour gradually until you have smooth, soft dough.

Note: If you dough seems ready before you add all of the flour, you may not need to use the full amount – feel free to use more or less as necessary, just to bring the dough together well.

(4) Turn the dough into a large bowl, lightly greased with olive oil; cover with plastic, and allow to rise for 1 hour.

(5) When the dough has risen, punch it down to release the air bubbles, and divide the dough into about 9-10 small portions, about the size that would fill a 1/4 cup or 1/3 cup measuring cup.

Note: In these pictures, I made 4x this recipe; so if you made a single batch, and it looks like you have less dough than I do, don’t worry – You do have less dough, and that’s how it should be. 😉

(6) Roll each little section into a log, about 10 inches long, or just long enough to tie into a knot, tucking the edges underneath. Set each knot of the dough onto greased or parchment lined baking sheets, cover loosely with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and allow to rise at room temperature for 35 minutes.

(7) Heat the oven to 375 degrees F, and allow the oven to heat while you let the rolls rest for another 10 minutes. During that time, brush the dough lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with black pepper.

(8) Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Note: These rolls are best on the day they are made. From start to finish, the prep time is about 3 hours, including rising times.