Pumpkin Bread

Chef

Cookbook

Great Natural Breads Made Easy

Published by Square One

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This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

This is one of the best of all fruit breads-really a cake in bread’s clothing. Served with a dollop of whipped cream, it makes an appropriate finale to a Thanksgiving dinner and a change from the ubiquitous pie. You can safely make it weeks ahead of time and keep it in the freezer. Use a fresh pumpkin if it’s that time of year and you happen to have one. If not, canned pumpkin does the job perfectly and certainly saves time and trouble.

2 large loaves

Cooking Methodbaking

CostInexpensive

Easy

Total Timeunder 2 hours

Make Ahead RecipeYes

Kid FriendlyYes

OccasionFamily Get-together

Dietary Considerationegg-free, halal, kosher, lactose-free, peanut free, soy free, vegetarian

Mealbreakfast, brunch, dinner, tea

Taste and Texturespiced, sweet

Type of Dishbread, cake, dessert, quickbreads

Ingredients

3 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin (or 29-ounce can)
1 cup oil
1 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups unbleached white flour
2½ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup wheat germ

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-x-5-inch bread pans and set aside.
Place the pumpkin, oil, honey, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir until well blended.
Divide the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then turn the loaves out of the pans. Finish cooling the bread on the rack before serving.