Pumpkin bread
Pumpkin bread is a yeast-free loaf cake that's hugely popular in America every fall. Pumpkin puree keeps the crumb soft and moist for days, while a blend of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg fills the whole kitchen with warm spice. It comes together quickly with just two bowls and a whisk.
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Rising or chilling
- 30 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 45 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Batter
Pumpkin seed topping
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a loaf pan with parchment paper, letting it hang over two sides of the pan. The overhang lets you lift the bread out easily without turning it upside down. The oven is ready after about fifteen minutes of preheating.
Step 2
Put 245 g pumpkin puree, 150 g granulated sugar, 100 g brown sugar, 100 g vegetable oil, 100 g eggs and 60 g water in a large bowl and whisk for about a minute. Using oil instead of butter keeps the bread moist and soft even when it's cold. The mixture is ready when it's smooth and evenly orange, with no lumps of brown sugar.
Step 3
Sift 220 g all-purpose flour, 5 g baking soda, 3 g salt and 6 g pumpkin pie spice into the bowl and fold with a flat spatula just until the streaks of flour disappear. The less you mix, the more tender the bread, without tunnels of air inside. The batter is ready when it's thick and smooth; a few small streaks left are fine.
Step 4
Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top with a flat spatula, then sprinkle 20 g pumpkin seeds evenly over it if you like. A level top helps the bread rise evenly and crack in a pretty line down the middle. You're done when the pan is about two-thirds full and the top is smooth.
Step 5
Bake at 175°C for 55 to 65 minutes; if the top darkens too quickly, lay a loose sheet of foil over it after forty minutes. This sugary, moist batter needs a long bake to cook through to the center. It's done when the crack down the middle no longer looks wet and shiny and a skewer comes out with only a few dry crumbs.
Step 6
Leave the bread in the pan for about ten minutes, then lift it out by the parchment paper and set it on a rack to cool for another twenty minutes. The crumb needs to rest to set, and cutting it while hot will make it gummy. It's ready when it feels only slightly warm and slices cleanly.
Equipment
- Oven
- Loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Sieve
- Kitchen scale
- Wire cooling rack
Tips
- Homemade pumpkin puree is usually wetter than canned, so let it drain in a sieve for about thirty minutes before weighing it.
- If you don't have ready-made pumpkin pie spice, mix ground cinnamon with a little ground ginger, ground nutmeg and ground cloves.
- Stirring a handful of chocolate chips or raisins into the batter before pouring it into the pan makes the bread even more appealing to kids.
Storage
Wrapped tightly, the bread keeps for three days at room temperature and about a week in the fridge; it's even moister and more flavorful the next day. You can slice and freeze it for up to two months, then thaw at room temperature before serving.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The middle of the bread sinks and is wet after cooling.
- It wasn't baked through to the center or the pumpkin puree was too watery. Bake for an extra five to ten minutes and drain the pumpkin puree before using it.
- The bread is dry and crumbly.
- It baked too long or too much flour went in. Use a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups, and start checking the bread five minutes earlier.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
