Pumpkin Bread
I have always been fascinated by pumpkins. The large, colorful fruits are not only beautiful in the garden and as decoration; they are also very tasty and can be prepared in many ways.
Pumpkin bread: sweet or savory
Nowadays pumpkin bread is mostly known as a delightfully sweet and spiced treat. In fact, it almost looks like a cake, made with sugar, eggs and spices. Not much different from banana bread. The original pumpkin bread baked centuries ago lacked sweet and expensive ingredients. A recipe dating back to the 17th century mentions only pumpkin, flour and water. A starter of flour and water was used as a leavening agent.
I rummaged through my library and found a recipe for a simple and savory pumpkin bread written by master gardeners Jean-Baptiste and Nicole Prades. The bread is made with baker's yeast and contains no spices. I adapted the recipe for quantities and added a touch of quatre-épices, a combination of cloves, ginger, pepper and nutmeg. After all, I am Spice & Ginger! The warm and fruity character of the spice blend pairs perfectly with the sweet pumpkin.
Things to eat with savory pumpkin bread
Pumpkin bread goes with almost everything, but I like it with cheese. Blue cheese, goat cheese, even brie and cheddar are delicious with a piece of pumpkin bread. Another hit is pumpkin bread with hummus or labneh topped with za'atar. Pumpkin bread also adds an extra touch to cabbage dishes and root vegetables. Finally, the savory, spicy bread also tastes great with meat dishes, especially pork.
If you have leftover pumpkin bread, turn it into croutons to go with a salad, or add it to fattoush or panzanella. You can also transform stale pumpkin bread into that different, more interesting bread pudding. In short, you can use pumpkin bread the same way you use regular bread. Reasons enough to get started!
Recipe: savory pumpkin bread
Ingredients:
- 500 g pumpkin cut into pieces
- 500 g flour
- 25 g fresh yeast
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of 4-spice
- 50 to 75 ml cooking water from the pumpkin
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Step 1: prepare pumpkin puree
Put the pumpkin in a saucepan and cover half with water. Cook the pumpkin until tender, drain but save the cooking liquid. Mix the pumpkin into a fine puree and let it cool.
![SG Pumpkin Bread 0164]()
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Step 2: first rise
Dissolve the yeast in 50 ml of lukewarm cooking liquid at 28°C. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the flour with the salt and quatre-épices. Scoop the pumpkin puree into a bowl and mix in the yeast. Now add the flour and knead into a nice dough. If the dough is too dry you can add some more cooking liquid. Place the bread dough in a clean bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough rise for at least 2 hours in a warm place.
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Step 3: proofing
Knead the dough again. Then round and shape it into form. You can use a rectangular or round pan for baking. Dust the mold with flour and add the shaped dough. Cover again and allow to proof for an hour.
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Step 4: baking the bread
While the dough is rising for the second time, pre-heat the oven to 180 °C. Place the dough in the oven and bake for 45 minutes until the bread has a nice crispy crust and sounds hollow inside. Let the bread cool on a rack.
![SG Pumpkin Bread 0336]()
