I just can’t get enough pumpkin right now! I’m thinking about bringing this bread to Thanksgiving dinner with my family, what do you think? The leftovers will make delicious pumpkin challah french toast the next morning.
This recipe comes out slightly more dense than a typical challah. My bread making skills are still in the early stages and I’ve made this recipe several times now with slight adjustments each time. I’m open to suggestions on how to lighten it up. It’s an exact replica of our school recipe, which was as perfect as any challah you’d find in a bakery. The only differences here are the pumpkin puree, an additional cup of flour to compensate for the puree, and some spices. Perhaps I need more yeast to offset the additional flour? The dough certainly rises normally.
The first time I made this bread I was underwhelmed with the pumpkin flavor. I’m used to the flavor of my pumpkin pie, soup and ravioli. Once you add flour, the flavor intensity just isn’t the same. I decided to try adding Pumpkin Powder
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons yeast
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 4 ounces butter, melted but cooled
- 7 cups bread flour
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 tablespoons pumpkin powder
- egg wash (1 egg beaten)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the warm water and yeast. Allow the mixture to sit for 3 minutes.
- Add eggs, melted butter, salt, sugar, spices, pumpkin and whisk until smooth.
- Add 2 cups of flour and whisk until smooth. Continue adding flour and combining, switching to your hands when the dough becomes too thick for the whisk. Fold out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead the dough for 5 minutes. It should be soft and smooth, not sticky. If the dough is sticky simply incorporate more flour while kneading, around 1/4 cup at a time until it's no longer sticking. You can use a small amount of canola oil on your hands as well.
- Round the dough into a ball and place in a clean, lightly oiled bowl (use canola or vegetable oil, something neutral), cover, and allow to double in size. This works well in a warm area, such as on top of your oven set to a low temperature. Don't rush this step, really let the dough rise.
- Remove the cover, punch the dough back down, cover again, and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Turn the dough onto the table and square off.
- Divide into 3 equal portions, join together at the top and braid them together.
- Roll, pinch and turn under the ends under to close loaf.
- Proof until double in size.
- Brush with egg wash.
- Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 40-45 minutes.
- Brush with butter (or honey butter) while hot.
This sounds delicious. I’m like you. I go crazy this time of year trying to get enough pumpkin into my diet. I’m looking forward not only to making the challah, but to making french toast with it
I have been neglecting acorn and butternut squash this fall. Pumpkin is consuming me!
I’ve never made challah before, but go big or go home, right?
It definitely came out big!
tell me about the kneading? i went to the king arthurs bread demo last week and the instructor was all about gentle HAND kneading. like, no punching. she was adamant about no punching. i followed her rules over the weekend and my bread came out so super soft fluffy and cloud-like.
the pic is gorgeous, lick the screen gorgeous.
Interesting. My Phase I instructor, Chef Somchef, is a bread master. Her bread came out superbly and she definitely punched it down and had us do the same. We always hand kneaded and would punch down after rising. One of my co-workers used to work in a bakery and I asked him if he had any advise. He suggested I go for an additional rise/punch down. So now I’m all confused.
I think the only time we used the machine for bread kneading was with brioche, but that’s a dense bread anyway.
Yum!! This looks amazing!
This really sounds fabulous and I so want to make one. And what a gorgeous, perfect Challah with prefect texture! Simply stunning! Bookmarked!
Thank you so much!
This sounds really good…and pumpkin challah bread french toast?! I think you sold me!
It looks amazingly good!! :)
Thanks! I liked it.
This looks absolutely delicious!!!!!
I’ve heard of pumpkin bread but never tried it.. might just try it
It’s a simple way to add a yummy twist challah!
Wow! This looks so good! A totally different take on pumpkin bread!
Thank you!
Oh my gosh this looks incredible! I’ve made challah before, as well as pumpkin knots (and love love love them both!) but have yet to put them together! Mmmm :)
Mmmm, looks good! I’ve made all sorts of things with pumpkin before (we joke that pumpkin is one of my husband’s love languages :-D) but never a yeast bread. I may have to try this…
I have an intense pumpkin addiction in the fall/winter so I can relate!
Oh pumpkin bread, so good….as well as zuchinni bread and carrot cake:)
what is pumpkin powder?? i’m so intrigued! i make pumpkin bread all fall and winter using a recipe from gourmet and it’s like crack to me… i could eat it all day everyday!! yay for fall coming!!
I love challah, especially when it’s homemade but have never had the courage to tamper with the traditional recipe too much. Especially not by introducing a vegetable! But this recipe sounds delish!
I was thinking about how you said your bread was dense, this is probably because of the extra water you are introducing to the bread in the form of the puree.
My suggestion?
First try to remove most of the water from the measured amount of pumpkin your recipe calls for. Either using a muslin clothe, or bake it in the oven for a bit. If you weigh it before and after, you’ll find out exactly how much water you’ve taken out.
Then next try removing some of the water in your recipe, instead of adding flour. Put in the min amount of water your dry yeast will need and then you can try to add in the puree instead. You can always add water at the end — its a little harder to incorporate but easy enough to manage. This should take some of the dense-ness away!
Happy Baking!
Adi
http://www.thesquarerootofapplepie.wordpress.com
That bread shot is fantastic. I love baking bread, and so every reason to bookmark a fab recipe.
Oh I absolutely love Challah bread. During the weekend, I would love going over to all my friends’ houses who were Jewish because they’d always have fresh Challah bread at the ready.
This looks so dang good! WOW, i can not wait to try making it!
Thank you so much for sharing your talent!