My wife loves pumpkin and so I'd been having this idea of making some kind of pumpkin bread, but I wasn't sure what recipe. Yesterday I happened to pick up Maggie Glezer's "A Blessing of Bread" and found, on page 178 the recipe for "Pan de Calabaza", a sephardic pumpkin bread. Looked good so I decided to make that. After thinking for a while what shape I would make it (3-braid, 4-braid, loaf etc.) I decided to try something different.

Double Pumpkin Bread

I call it "Double" pumpkin bread because it contains pumpkin, and looks like one.

Recipe (as computed from the original using my spreadsheet:

• Bread Flour: 100%, 3 1/8 C, 506 g
• Water: 28%, 5/8 C, 142 g
• Salt: 1.6%, 1 3.4 t, 8.1 g
• Instant Dry Yeast: 1.17%, 1 3/4 t, 5.9 g
• Pumpkin Puree: 23%, 6 1/2 T. 110 g
• Cardamom, ground: 0.19%, 1/2 t, 912 mg
• Ginger, ground: 0.18%, 1/2 t, 859 mg
• Sugar, granulated: 14%, 5 1/4 T, 52.8 g
• Vegetable Oil: 11%, 3 3/4 T, 47.4 g
• Egg: 9.88%, 1 large, 47.4 g

This makes 2 pounds of a 44.45% hydration dough, although I found myself adding just a teeny bit of water. Makes a large loaf, two small to medium loaves, or 1 loaf and a few rolls.

1. Mix ingredients until incorporated (if using mixer, use the paddle).
2. Knead or use dough hook on mixer until good development. Dough will "just" clear the bowl, and should be smooth, silky and pass window pane test.
3. Transfer to oiled container and let rise until almost tripled in size. You can do this in a fairly warm place as the flavor of the bread is determined by the ingredients, and not much by fermentation, so no need for slow fermentation.
4. Degas gently and shape into a ball. Give it a 15 minute bench rest before proceeding.
5. Shape as desired. Challah type braid is traditional but it is up to you (see above!)
6. Let rise until, again at least doubled and the dough does not come back when you push a finger into it.
7. Brush with glaze of one egg and a pinch of salt.
8. Bake, in a preheated 350F oven for approximately 35 minutes. Internal temperature 197-202F. If it is getting to dark, tent with aluminum foil.

The taste was delicious, with the spices noticeable, but subtle. Fine textured crumb, soft crust and very moist inside. Worked well with pumpkin soup and everybody at our Halloween party loved it (and the three pizza's I made!) In case you are wondering: I kept the teeth light by covering them with an aluminum foil cutout after about 10 minutes of baking.

--dolf

See my My Bread Adventures in pictures