A seasonal Autumnal pumpkin loaf of home-made bread
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 2 tsp fast action yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 450 g cooked pumpkin I peeled and chopped the pumpkin into small chunks and boiled it for 20 minutes before straining then blitzed it in a food processor to achieve a smooth puree,
- A splash of tepid water if your dough is too dry
- Olive oil for glazing
- Pumpkin seeds and linseeds for the topping.
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Cook the pumpkin, drain then mash it in a food processor or with a potato masher to achieve a smooth puree,
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Put the flour, yeast, salt, paprika into the bowl of a food mixer with a dough hook attached,
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Add in the cooked, mashed pumpkin then begin to knead the dough in the machine and continue for 10 minutes on a medium setting. If the dough is dry then add in a splash of tepid water. You can knead the dough by hand if you don't have a food mixer,
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After 10 minutes cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rise slowly for between 1&1/2 to 2 hours,
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Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knock it back as well as shape it into round loaf and place it on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover with a tea towel and let prove for a further 30-60 minutes,
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Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees and once the oven is at the correct temperature, brush the top of the loaf with olive oil and sprinkle over the pumpkin and linseeds,
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Spray some water into the hot oven and bake the loaf for 30-40 minutes until the crust is firm and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it.
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Let the loaf cool on a wire rack before eating.
Adapted from Bread by Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrigno