This time of year, pumpkin bread recipes abound. Usually these are in the form of a quick sweet bread, made with no yeast, with a cake-like result (like this chai spiced pumpkin bread). This is not that kind of pumpkin bread. Instead, it’s a yeast bread, an artisan loaf that comes out crusty on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Perfect for serving with those autumn and winter soups and stews! This is a variation of my Dutch Oven No Knead Bread – an easy, classic artisan loaf with a short rise time – with the addition of pumpkin puree, fresh rosemary, olive oil, and sea salt. You’ll love this easy pumpkin yeast bread loaf recipe!
Ingredients and Substitutions
All Purpose Flour – bread flour can be used instead, and/or a partial substitute of whole wheat flour – more on that below. Yeast – active dry, instant, or rapid rise will all work. The only difference between them is how quickly they work to make the bread loaf rise – more on that below. Sea salt – you’ll need fine grain for the loaf itself and, if you have it, coarse sea salt flakes for topping. Pumpkin puree – the canned kind, NOT pumpkin pie filling, just plain puree. If you have plain butternut (or other) squash puree, that will also work, as long as it’s not too watery. Fresh Rosemary – dried will also work in a smaller quantity. Warm water – heated to 110 degrees F., give or take 5 degrees. It’s important to use an accurate temperature, as water that is too warm may kill the yeast and water that is too cool may not activate it. I use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the water is the correct temperature.
How to make Pumpkin No Knead Bread in a Dutch Oven
First, mix the dough. Mix warm water, yeast, pumpkin puree, salt, olive oil, and rosemary together until the yeast and salt are dissolved. Add the flour and mix until very well combined. Then, place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover, and allow to rise until doubled in size, which will take about 2 hours (more on this below). Finally, shape the dough, score, garnish, and bake! There are a few ways to do this. If you go to this post, you’ll find a tutorial for easy shaping using the parchment paper to flip it over. Once it’s shaped, place it on a piece of parchment paper and, if you want, score the top in an “X” shape. Brush with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with extra rosemary as well as some flaky sea salt. Place the loaf and the parchment paper into the Dutch oven (using the edges of the parchment paper to transfer it in) and bake covered, then uncover and bake for a few more minutes until nice and crusty and golden brown. Now here’s the hard part: once it’s baked, for best results, you’ll need to cool it for about an hour on a cooling rack. Patience! If you cut into it too early, it may have a gummy texture, and will appear underdone.
Tips and Tricks
The longer you mix, the more gluten will develop, which will help yield a loaf that has height and isn’t too dense. A standing mixer makes easy work of this! I usually let mine go for at least 3 minutes. You can do longer if you want. If you’re new to no knead bread baking, I recommend giving my traditional no knead Dutch oven bread post a read. There’s a lot more basic information in there that will be helpful! Pumpkin puree can vary in water content. The dough will be a bit sticky and loose. But if it’s soupy and can’t hold its shape, it likely means there is too much water. Just add a little more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until you get the consistency that seems right. The dough will take longer or shorter to rise depending on a few factors. Instant and rapid rise yeast will take a shorter time. Yeast thrives in a warm, humid environment, so if it’s in a cold drafty kitchen it may take much longer to rise. Here’s a great guide to the different types of yeast. I like to microwave a mug of water until it’s steaming, then place the mug and the bowl with the dough inside and close the door. It creates a nice humid and warm environment that hastens the rise of the dough. If the dough rises too much, it will overproof (meaning the yeast will run out of food to eat and start to die off) and the loaf may not turn out. So do keep an eye on the dough so it doesn’t rise past about double! If the dough doesn’t rise at all, it’s a yeast issue. Yeast is a living organism and if it’s a bad batch and already dead, it won’t work. You can also accidentally kill the yeast if the water is too hot, so make sure not to go over about 105 degrees F.
Using different types of flour
This recipe calls for all-purpose flour. I always use King Arthur. Different flours are sometimes “thirstier” than others, meaning they will more readily absorb moisture. Different flours also have different gluten contents, which can affect the loaf. Other brands may vary with both of these factors. Bread flour has a higher gluten content and is a bit thirstier than all-purpose, meaning you’ll need a little less of it (or more water). Whole wheat flour is also more absorbent than all purpose white flour. Whole wheat also has a lower gluten content and is denser, which often means a denser loaf of bread (especially in a no knead bread with a short rise time). If you want to use whole wheat flour, I recommend subbing out no more than 1 cup of the all purpose, so you have a mix of both. Gluten free flour mixes might work here, but I haven’t tested it. Readers who have made my plain Dutch oven bread have said they’ve had success with it. Almond flour, coconut flour, and other grain-free “flours” aren’t really flour at all and should not be used interchangeably for wheat flour in any recipe. You’ll need an entirely different recipe for those, specifically developed for that type of flour.
Other ingredients to add to Pumpkin no knead bread
I wanted to add Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) to this loaf but alas, I was out, and I didn’t feel like going to the store, haha! They’d be great added here, and/or other seeds like sunflower, flax, or chia. Other herbs, in addition to or in place of the rosemary, would be great. Thyme, oregano, and sage are three that I would recommend experimenting with. For a sweet version, I recommend making my No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread, made in much the same way, and swapping out a half cup of the water for 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree. Please note, I haven’t tried this, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work here!
Storing and freezing
This bread doesn’t last very long on the counter. I don’t recommend leaving it out for more than 24 hours. Beyond that, freeze it for best results. When you freeze, be sure the loaf has cooled completely. For convenience, pre-slice the loaf before freezing in an airtight bag, so you can get out a slice or two at a time as needed.
Other recipes to use up the other half of the can of pumpkin!
Soup recipes to serve with No Knead Pumpkin Rosemary Bread
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