Description
This charming Pumpkin Shaped Bread Loaf is a festive, soft bread featuring a subtle pumpkin flavor, perfect for fall gatherings or holiday meals. Crafted with bread flour, pumpkin purée, and nondairy milk, it is shaped meticulously with baker’s twine to resemble a pumpkin, then baked in a Dutch oven for a moist and tender crumb. The loaf is finished with a pumpkin wash for an inviting golden sheen and topped with a cinnamon stick to enhance its autumnal appeal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dough
- 4 cups bread flour (King Arthur recommended)
- 2 packets instant yeast (approx. 4 1/2 teaspoons or 14 g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons organic sugar
- 1/4 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix, Libby's preferred)
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons warm nondairy milk (Ripple brand recommended)
- 1 cinnamon stick for garnish
Pumpkin Wash
- 1 tablespoon nondairy milk
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin purée
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar using a spoon. Add the instant yeast packets and mix in briefly with a wooden spoon. Fit the mixer with a paddle attachment and add the pumpkin purée. Begin mixing while gradually pouring in the warm nondairy milk until a shaggy dough forms. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead on low speed for 10 minutes until the dough becomes soft and smooth. Shape the dough into a ball.
- First rise: Place the dough ball into a clean bowl and cover it with a dish towel. Allow it to rise in a warm place, such as inside the oven with just the light on, for 1 to 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
- Prepare baker’s twine and pumpkin wash: Cut four long pieces of baker’s twine (each about 15 to 20 inches). In a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin wash ingredients—nondairy milk and pumpkin purée—with a silicone brush ready for application.
- Preheat oven: Set the oven temperature to 400°F (204°C).
- Shape and decorate the dough: After the dough has risen, gently press out the air and form it into a smooth ball. Use the silicone brush to evenly apply the pumpkin wash on the dough’s surface. Arrange two strings in a cross shape and the other two diagonally across to create eight sections. Place the dough smooth side down onto the strings and loosely tie them around the loaf, leaving room for expansion during baking. Trim any excess string.
- Score the loaf: Using a paring knife or bread razor, make small V-shaped decorative cuts on the top of the dough to resemble pumpkin segments.
- Prepare for baking: Line a Dutch oven or an oven-safe pot with parchment paper. Carefully place the string-laced dough inside and adjust the strings as needed to maintain shape.
- Bake the bread: Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and bake for 40 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake uncovered for an additional 5 to 7 minutes until the loaf is a golden brown color.
- Cool and garnish: Carefully remove the hot bread from the pot. Quickly cut the strings with scissors and remove them. Make a small X incision at the top center of the loaf and insert a cinnamon stick as a festive topper. Allow the bread to cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie mix, for best flavor. Libby’s pumpkin purée is recommended.
- Bread flour yields the best texture; King Arthur brand is preferred.
- Instant yeast is favored for convenience with no proofing required; if using active dry yeast, follow package directions.
- Ripple nondairy milk works well, but any warm nondairy milk can be substituted.
- Letting the dough rise in the oven with the light on ensures a warm environment for proper proofing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/8 of loaf)
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 1.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
