Though pumpkin is available in cans all year long, we seem to associate this bread with autumn. It makes marvelous turkey sandwiches spread with cranberry jelly and lettuce or sprouts. Because of the golden color, they also make especially festive dinner rolls for the holiday table. Make half the dough into rolls, and the other half into a loaf for sandwiches, if you like.
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl, and mix and knead — by hand, using a mixer, or in a bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a smooth, soft dough.
Put the dough into a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let it rise until doubled, about 60 to 75 minutes.
Gently deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide it in half.
Shape each half into a loaf, and place in lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pans. Alternatively, shape half into a loaf, and the other into 12 to 16 rolls, which can be placed into two 8" round pans, or into a 9" x 13" pan. Or, simply shape all of the dough into 24 to 32 rolls.
Cover the pan(s) and let the loaves/rolls rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, or until its crust is a deep golden brown, and a digital thermometer inserted into the center registers about 190°F. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out onto a rack to cool. Store completely cool bread or rolls well-wrapped, at room temperature, for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Want to add fiber and nutrition to your pumpkin bread? Substitute white whole wheat flour for up to half of the all-purpose flour in the recipe.
Want to use fresh pumpkin purée rather than canned? It’s simple to make your own; see how it’s done.
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