Baking Pumpkin Bread – A Moist Yeasted Loaf with Nutmeg

Pumpkin bread is a simple yeasted loaf in which Hokkaido squash purée replaces part of the liquid: it keeps the crumb soft, gives it a warm, orange colour, and keeps the loaf moist for days. You're only actively working on it for under 30 minutes – yeast and time do the rest.

Come October, you can pick up a Hokkaido squash on every corner, and a small one is plenty for the purée. Add freshly grated nutmeg and pumpkin seeds to the dough, and the whole flat smells of autumn the moment the oven's on.

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf (about 12 slices):

• 500g Hokkaido squash (makes about 300g purée)
• 500g strong white bread flour
• 7g dried yeast (1 sachet)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 10g salt
• 30g soft butter
• 60–80ml lukewarm water
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
• 50g pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp milk, for brushing

Method

1. Deseed the squash, cut it into rough chunks and roast it in the oven for 20 minutes at 200°C until soft. Purée it and let the purée cool to lukewarm – if it's too hot, it'll kill the yeast.
2. Mix the flour, dried yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl and grate in the nutmeg fresh. With the nutmeg grinder you'll judge the amount more precisely than with ready-ground nutmeg, which quickly tastes flat in the dough.
3. Add the squash purée, butter and 60ml of water to start, and knead it all for 8 to 10 minutes into a smooth dough. It should be soft but come away cleanly from the side of the bowl – only add more water if it's still crumbly.
4. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise somewhere warm for about 60 minutes, until it's doubled in size.
5. Knead in 40g of the pumpkin seeds, shape the dough into an oblong loaf and place it on a lined baking tray. Leave to rise, covered, for another 40 minutes.
6. Brush the loaf with milk, scatter over the remaining seeds and score it two or three times on the diagonal. Bake for 40 minutes at 200°C (conventional) – it's done when it sounds hollow if you knock the base.
7. Let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into it.

kjøk tip

Patience at the end makes all the difference: a loaf that's still warm carries on cooking inside, and if you cut into it too soon, the crumb turns gummy instead of light. Once it's ready, work with the long serrated edge of the bread knife in drawing, sawing strokes and without pressing down from above – otherwise you'll flatten the fresh loaf. Wash the knife by hand afterwards and dry it straightaway; the blade and handle suffer in a dishwasher, and a serrated edge isn't something you can easily sharpen at home. You'll find everything for baking in the Baking category.

FAQs

Can I use ready-made pumpkin purée from a jar?

Yes, that works fine. Just check it's unsweetened and not too watery – if it is, drain it briefly in a sieve first. Otherwise, you'll need noticeably less water in the dough.

Why isn't my dough rising properly?

Usually the squash purée was still too hot, or the spot you chose was too cool. Yeast is happiest at 25 to 30°C. If you're stuck, put the bowl in the oven switched off but with the oven light on.

How do I store pumpkin bread?

In a bread bin or a linen bag, it keeps for three to four days and stays moist for longer than an ordinary white loaf, thanks to the purée. In plastic, the crust goes soft. You can also freeze it in slices and toast them one at a time.