Recipe – Yeasted Pumpkin Bread

For the past month or so, I’ve been developing a recipe for yeasted pumpkin bread. I wanted this recipe to be a more traditional bread as opposed to a quick bread. Slow and steady rising from yeast develops the flavor a bit more, and it really shows in this recipe. Here are the main ingredients:

With a full 15oz can of pumpkin puree, I adjusted the recipe and did some tricks to reduce the amount of liquid. To give you an idea, the first iteration of this recipe required over 600g of flour! I managed to cut that to 500g by microwaving the pumpkin puree. The goal of microwaving the pumpkin puree in a strainer is to get some of the pumpkin juices out to use for activating the yeast. This is instead of the 0.5-1cup of water/milk that is typically used for yeasted bread. Microwaving yields about 2tbsp pumpkin juice, which, combined with only 1 tbsp of plant-based milk and one scoop of the pumpkin puree is enough liquid to activate the yeast.

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The Dough and Filling

After combining the dry ingredients separately from the wet and kneading, the dough comes together nicely. The dough doubles in size in about 2hr at room temperature.

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For the filling, I chose cinnamon to add a bit of spice to the bread. The first time I made this recipe, I tried nutmeg and it turned out really bitter. Cinnamon complements pumpkin very well. Mixed with maple syrup just makes the kitchen smell like Fall!

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After the first proof, pound the dough into an oval shape. As a tip, I press my knuckles into the center of the dough to create little wells for the filling. Spread the filling in the center of the dough, leaving about 1-inch margins on all sides. Use a tight roll to really develop the swirl. I tuck in the sides towards the end to keep a lot of the filling contained. However, there will be filling spilling out – that’s okay!

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Here’s the second proof:

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The Finished Product: Yeasted Pumpkin Bread

After about 40min in the oven at 350°F, it’s ready to take out. I usually wait about 10min before taking the bread out of the loaf pan. After another 10-20min, we cannot wait and just start slicing it up. Here’s the yeasted pumpkin bread in all its glory. Look at that swirl!

The best part? Booker approves the bread!

Materials (makes 1 loaf):

For the bread

• 1 15oz can pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp plant-based milk
• 25g maple syrup
• 2 tsp yeast
• 500g artisan bread flour
• 50g toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For the filling

• 35g maple syrup
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Methods:

1. Place a microwave-safe strainer on top of a microwave-safe bowl, empty the pumpkin puree into the strainer, and microwave for 2min. There should be ~2tbsp liquid that gets strained.
2. Add plant-based milk, maple syrup, and a small scoop of pumpkin puree to the strained liquid. Add the yeast and let sit ~10min until it gets foamy.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine artisan bread flour, toasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin spice, salt, olive oil, and the remainder of the pumpkin puree and mix on low for a few seconds.
4. Add the yeast mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low until a dough forms. The dough should only be slightly sticky.
5. Turn dough over onto a silicon mat and knead for 3-5min.
6. Add a little bit of olive oil to the stand mixer bowl, swirl, and plop the dough in. Cover until doubled in size (~2hr).
7. Make the filling by stirring maple syrup and cinnamon.
8. Cut parchment paper and line the bottom of a loaf pan. No need to oil!
9. Turn dough over on the silicon mat with the oil side facing down, pound the air out, and shape into a flattened rectangle. Spread filling over the dough, leaving ~1″ margin on each side empty. Protip: before adding the filling, use your knuckles to make indentations in the center of the dough to catch the filling.
10. Carefully and tightly roll the dough, tuck in the sides, and place in the loaf pan. Place pan into the oven for the second proof (~2hr).
11. Turn the oven on to 350°F (yes, while the loaf is still inside) and bake for ~40min or until the internal temperature reaches 190°F.

And that’s it! A great butter-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free version of pumpkin bread.

As always, comments, questions, and feedback are always welcome!