Fresh Pumpkin Raisin Yeast Bread

If you can find a heirloom Jarrahdale Pumpkin for this seasons baking you will not be disappointed. You will recognize it by its unique blue-green skin. It has a deep orange flesh that is perfect for pies. It has a mild, nutty, sweet flavor and is not stringy inside at all. It is actually a winter squash, Cucurbita maxima, an Australian heirloom.

Simply roast your pumpkin in the oven on 375 degrees. I cut mine in half and placed it face down. Poke it with a fork numerous times to keep it from popping in your oven. When you poke it with a fork and it is tender it is ready to come out. I roasted mine for about 45 minutes on a baking sheet and covered the pumpkin with foil.

 Let it cool and then puree it well. You can save the extra by freezing it. I placed 2 cups of puree per ziplock bag. Most recipes do not call for more than 2 cups per item. It will be easier when you take a frozen one out as you need it and it's not all frozen in one bag. You don't want to refreeze what you don't use. It's so delicious I never want to waste an ounce.

This bread makes wonderful toast with some homemade preserves spread on it or a bit of organic raw honey drizzled on top. It's also a great sandwich bread, especially with some of those holiday leftover ham and turkey's. You may also make the two loaf recipe as below and make one a loaf and the other half can be make into dinner rolls. Just decrease your baking time for rolls to 20 to 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm water
2/3 cup warm milk
2 tbsp organic sunflower oil
2 farm fresh eggs room temperature
1 1/2 cups pureed fresh pumpkin
5 1/2 cup organic unbleached flour
1 cup organic wheat bran
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup organic plump golden raisins
2 tbsp flax seed plus extra for topping
3 tbsp raw organic sunflower seeds

In a small mixing bowl, combine the water, milk, oil, brown sugar and raisins. Microwave for 2 minutes. Set aside and allow raisins to soak. Stir to make sure sugar has dissolved.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, wheat bran, yeast, flax and sunflower seeds, salt and spices, Whisk together well.

Place dough hook on mixer with dry ingredients first. Add your small bowl of liquid ingredients and begin mixing on 2nd speed, add eggs and pumpkin and continue on 2nd speed until well combined. The dough for this bread is very sticky. It allows for the bread to be moist and fluffy. Oil a bowl and place dough and cover to let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.

On a well floured surface pour out dough and divide in half. Work out gas bubbles and roll into a good square and then roll up into a loaf to place in your pans. Brush the top with egg white and sprinkle on flax seeds. Makes two loaves. Cover and let rise about an hour. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 to 50 minutes. You can tell if your bread is done when you turn it out of the pan and you tap on the bottom of the loaf and it sounds hollow.

Happy Gardening!!

Pammy