Homemade bread is delicious anyway, but add pumpkin and it just pushes it right over the top. The pumpkin adds moisture and you can see from the photos, this makes two light, airy loaves. The dough is silky soft and very easy to knead.
If you have non-pumpkin lovers {how can that be????} in your household, don't fear, they won't taste any pumpkin in this recipe. You can also omit the spices so they won't be suspicious. You will, however, have to figure out how to explain the lovely golden yellow color.....
Makes 2 loaves, or 1 loaf and 12 dinner rolls, or 24 dinner rolls
Source: King Arthur Flour
1/2 cup warm water
2 packages (2 tablespoons) active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups puréed pumpkin, either fresh or canned
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 1/2 cups (approximately) All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir yeast into water to soften. Add milk, eggs, pumpkin, oil, 4 cups flour, brown sugar, salt, ginger and cardamom to yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
Gradually add remaining flour, a little at a time, until you have a dough stiff enough to knead that doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl, only the bottom. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn once to coat entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide dough in half. Shape dough into loaves and place in well-greased 10 x 5-inch pans or, shape half into a loaf, and other half into 12 large dinner rolls. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven. Loaves bake about 30 minutes, rolls about 20.
Immediately remove bread or rolls from pans and cool on a wire rack to prevent crust from becoming soggy.
