• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the lukewarm milk, instant yeast, and ½ teaspoon sugar. Let sit for 5–10 minutes, or until slightly foamy.
  1 cup lukewarm milk, 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• Add the remaining ingredients, granulated sugar, eggs, ground cinnamon, all purpose flour, pumpkin puree, softened butter, and salt.
  ½ cup granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 5 ¾ cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting, 1 cup pumpkin puree, ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
• Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until the dough comes together, then increase to medium speed and knead for 6–8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still cling lightly to the bottom.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, perform one stretch and fold (lift one side of the dough and fold it over itself, repeating on all four sides). Cover again.
• Place the covered dough in the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours or up to 12 hours overnight. This cold proof develops flavor and makes the dough easier to work with when rolling out. While the dough is proofing, make the caramel sauce.

Salted Caramel Sauce Instructions

• In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup. Stir gently to moisten the sugar, then stop stirring completely.
  1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup water, 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• Set over medium heat and cook undisturbed for 5–10 minutes, until the syrup turns a rich amber color. Check out 5 minutes to see and keep an eye out. Meanwhile, warm the heavy cream in the microwave for 1 minute. Be careful — the color can go light to dark (burnt) really fast!
  ¾ cup heavy cream
• Once the caramel is amber (like honey or copper), remove from heat. Carefully pour in the warm cream while whisking — it will bubble up quickly. If you add the cream when the color isn’t brown enough, you’ll have a more runny caramel.
• Whisk until smooth, then stir in the vanilla and salt. If needed, return to low heat briefly to smooth everything out.
  2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Let cool slightly, then transfer to a heat-safe jar. The caramel will thicken as it cools. Refrigerate for up to a week and warm before using.

Shaping and Filling

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and unsalted butter on medium speed until smooth and well combined. You want it fluffy to easily spread! Set aside.
  1 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, ¾ cup unsalted butter
• Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll the chilled dough into a large rectangle, about 12x16 inches in size. Flour as needed so the dough doesn’t stick to the table. Try to keep the edges as even as possible so the rolls bake uniformly.
• Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough, using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to get it all the way to the edges. Leave about ½ inch of dough bare on one long side to help seal the log.
• Starting with the long edge farthest from you, cut the dough into 12 even strips using a sharp pizza cutter. Each piece should be about 1⅓ inches wide. Take your time to keep the cuts straight so the rolls bake up evenly.
• Working one at a time, roll each strip into a tight spiral, starting from the bottom edge and rolling upward until you reach the top. As you roll, gently tuck in any filling that tries to escape and keep light, even pressure so each roll stays compact and uniform. Once rolled, pinch the end seam lightly so it stays closed.
• Lightly grease or line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper before adding the rolls.
• Repeat with the remaining strips until all 12 rolls are shaped, then place them in the prepared pan, leaving a little space between each one to allow room for their final rise. Let them proof/rise for 45–60 minutes.

Baking Instructions

• Once the rolls have finished their second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Warm ½ cup heavy whipping cream just until it loses its chill (microwave for about 15–20 seconds). Gently pour the cream evenly over the tops of the risen rolls, letting it soak down into the layers.
  ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• Place the pan in the oven and bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 20–25 minutes, until the rolls are deep golden brown on top.
• If the rolls begin to brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let the rolls cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting and adding the caramel. Warm the caramel slightly before drizzling so it’s smooth and pourable.

Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl, then beat for 2 more minutes until smooth and fluffy.
  4 oz cream cheese, ¾ cup unsalted butter
• With the mixer on low, add powdered sugar, then vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until combined.
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, Pinch of salt
• Increase speed to medium-high and beat 2–3 more minutes until light and fluffy. If too soft to pipe, chill for 10–15 minutes.

Assembly

• Once the cinnamon rolls have cooled slightly, spread the cream cheese buttercream evenly over the tops of the rolls. I did dollops with a piping bag for a pretty look, but you can do whatever you like!
• Drizzle the homemade caramel sauce over the frosted rolls using a spoon or piping bag. Serve warm or at room temperature.