Chef Johns Pumpkin Bread Recipes

NO KNEAD HOLIDAY PUMPKIN BREAD

Steps:

• Place pumpkin puree into a large mixing bowl and whisk in 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water, salt, yeast, and pumpkin pie spice until thoroughly combined. Beat in flour to make a dry crumbly dough. Keep stirring until dough becomes smooth and sticky, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Cover bowl with a damp towel and let dough stand 12 to 16 hours to rise.
• Generously sprinkle cornmeal onto center area of a baking sheet. Scrape dough out of bowl, using a floured spatula, onto a heavily floured work surface. Dough will be very sticky. Dust dough with flour and gently flatten into an oblong shape. Fold 2 opposite rounded ends together to meet in the center; fold remaining 2 rounded ends to meet in the center, creating a rectangle of dough. Using well-floured hands, gently form into a round loaf with the seams on the bottom.
• Transfer dough round onto center of prepared baking sheet. Dust top and sides of loaf generously with more flour.
• Dust a dry towel with flour and place towel with floured side down over loaf. Let rise until loaf has almost doubled in size, 1 1/2 hours. Use a sharp knife to cut a 1/2-inch deep slit across the top of the loaf.
• Place a loaf pan containing about 2 inches of water onto a bottom rack of oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake on center rack of the preheated oven for 30 minutes; turn bread around in oven. Continue to bake until bread is golden brown and crusty, about 20 more minutes. Let bread cool completely on a rack before slicing.

THE BEST PUMPKIN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3-inch loaf pans.
• Mix together pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well blended. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger in a second bowl. Sift flour mixture on top of the pumpkin mixture and fold in with a spatula until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until nicely browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.

CHEF JOHN'S HOLIDAY PUMPKIN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
• Mix butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
• Whisk in eggs one at a time until combined.
• Whisk in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, Chinese five-spice powder, and allspice until combined.
• Stir flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in chopped walnuts.
• Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

CHEF JOHN'S PUMPKIN BREAD

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin puree, 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of warm water, yeast, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix in flour with a spatula until the dough is fully mixed and all the flour is moistened. Cover bowl with a damp towel, and allow dough to rise for 12-16 hours.
• Scrape dough onto floured surface with floured spatula; sprinkle dough with more flour. With your fingers, press dough out into a rough square about 1 inch thick. Fold all four sides of dough in towards center, then turn folded dough over and form into a round loaf.
• Generously cover a sheet pan with cornmeal.
• Place loaf on prepared sheet pan with seam sides down, dusting top and sides with flour, then place a floured towel over dough. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place a pan with 2 inches of water on the bottom rack. Just before baking, make a shallow slice (1/2 inch) across top of dough with a sharp knife.
• Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven. Turn pan around and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.