Pumpkin Bread       [Print]   Bookmark and Share
''When you think about it, making bread is very sexy, and a well-fermented dough proving up can be very sensual. It's also good fun and very easy to do. Our Pumpkin Bread is a lovely soft-eating loaf. It's a high tin loaf with a very soft crumb. To do something different, we put a bit of fresh mashed pumpkin on the top and also garnish it with a bit of pumpkin seed. 
''One big advantage Pumpkin Bread has over other loaves is that it keeps very well.''

Preparation time: 60 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Oven temperature: 200°C
  Pumpkin Bread
Method:
  1. Cook and mash pumpkin for group 1 and 4.
  2. Dry mix group 2 in a large bowl.
  3. Combine groups 1, 2 and 3 in a large bowl. Mix together to form dough.
  4. Turn out on lightly floured bowl and knead for 3-5 minutes.
  5. Place in lightly floured bowl and place in prover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
  6. Remove from prover and place onto a lightly floured board/table and flatten out to 25cm by 25 cm. Fold from top 2/3 down and press down, then from left 2/3 across to right and press down. Then fold right side over top and push down.
  7. This should now resemble a wedge shape. From top thick end, roll to thin end tightly.
  8. Place in greased tin, seam down. Reprove with new hot water for 30 minutes.
  9. Pre-heat oven at 200°C.
  10. After final prove, gently, using sharp knife, cut lengthways down centre, not too deep, ½ cm and pipe a line of mashed pumpkin down centre (group 4).
  11. Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes
  Ingredients:

Group1:
Pumpkin (cooked and mashed) cooled — 3/4 cup
Group2:
Whole meal flour — 1 cup
Plain flour — 2 cups
Salt — 2 teaspoons
Improver — 1 teaspoon
Yeast — 1 1/2 teaspoons
Gluten — 2 ½ teaspoons
Pumpkin seeds (optional) — 2 tablespoons
Nutmeg — 1 teaspoon
Group3:
Butter (soft) — 2 teaspoons
Water — ½ cup (depending on how wet pumpkin is)
Group4:
Mashed pumpkin — ¼ cup (for topping)