Pumpkin Bread

[miscellanea]

I have been on the search for the perfect pumpkin bread. After burning through the recipes I had in my file from friends and the ones found on back of assorted cans of pumpkin, I haven't found a recipe that I wanted to keep. I don't want pumpkin cake either. I just want a nice, dense pumpkin bread that isn't rubbery and has a nice crumb. Perfect for breakfast on the run.

Any help in my search would be greatly appreciated!

S

[Larry]

There was a good pumpkin bread recipe in this month's (Dec 2004) Cooking Light magazine. It calls for 4 large egg whites but I just used 2 whole eggs and it turned out great. I also added a mix of dried fruits instead of the chocolate chips. The recipe makes 2 loaves and is perfect for breakfast as it isn't too sweet.

[momlovestocook]

This recipe looks good

pumpkin loaf recipe

Sandra

[bethesdabakers]

Don't know if you want sourdough but this is how I do it:

This recipe comes from La Tartine bakery in Sydney (from Baker: the best of international baking from Australian and New Zealand professionals by Dean Brettschneider and Lauraine Jacobs. The original is confused to the extent that it’s not clear how many loaves the recipe is supposed to produce but I eventually concluded it was one. By now I’ve doubled the quantity to make two loaves and made so many adjustments La Tartine wouldn’t recognize it as their own child.

You have to be prepared to adjust the quantities because it’s hard to judge the amount of water in the pumpkin. You need pumpkin (or squash) which you have peeled, seeded, baked at 220C until soft, cooled and pureed. The original recipe calls for wholemeal starter.

Starter (twice refreshed) 240g

water 200g

pumpkin 450g

plain flour 840g

salt 20g

Throw in mixer for about 4 minutes. Use the stretching and folding method. Turn the dough out onto the bench and after an hour stretch the dough by picking it up by one end, allowing it to stretch under its own weight and then pick it up by the other end so that it stretches evenly. I then fold the dough in three, business letter style, turn it through 90 degrees and repeat the stretching and folding. Repeat this at the end of the second and third hours and allow a four hour rise in total.

Divide the dough in two, form two loaves and allow to rise in bannetons - about four and a half hours in my case. Slash twice North & South of the centre so that the loaves elongate a little. Bake in preheated oven Gas 9 (475F, 240C) for about 40 mins, reducing the heat after about 15 minutes.

Wonderful yellow to shocking golden orange crumb depending on squash.

Really nutty when toasted.

Best wishes,

Mick

[beccaboo]

Starter (twice refreshed) 240g

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That looks like good bread! What hydration is your starter?

[bethesdabakers]

100% hydration.

Mick

[CanadianBakin']

Pumpkin Loaf from epicurious.com I made this recipe recently and it turned out very well. Good rise, good texture. It calls for chocolate chips but would be just as tasty without.

[miscellanea]

Thanks everyone!

I've toyed with the recipe from epicurious and cooking light and have gotten good results. I'll have to try the others at some point. . .

And when I finally feel ambitious enough to try a real bread recipe rather than quick bread, I will definitely try that sourdough pumpkin bread. . . It looks fantastic.

S