Yeasted Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Enjoy a seasonal twist on traditional sandwich bread with this yeasted pumpkin loaf.

Why It Works

  • Pumpkin purée takes the place of water in this classic sandwich loaf.
  • A food processor makes short work of the stiff dough, creating intense gluten development in just 75 seconds.
  • Maple syrup adds flavor and complexity without much sweetness.

I know some of you may be confused by the idea of this pumpkin bread. The phrase "pumpkin bread" itself suggests a cousin of banana bread, some quick-bread in the style of pumpkin muffins or scones. But this? This here is clearly a yeast-raised sandwich loaf, without any nuts or spices in sight.

A loaf of pumpkin sandwich bread sliced into five slices, with the rest of the loaf intact. One slice is spread with dark jam and the jam bowl is on the side.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

We may be primed to expect our pumpkin-flavored foods to be sweet, or outright savory, but let's get real for a second: Pumpkin doesn't taste like a whole lot. Whether in a latte or pie, our concept of pumpkin flavor revolves almost entirely around added sugar and spice.

Without those things, pumpkin purée functions much like water when used to make a classic sandwich loaf. Sure, the color's great and it adds a nominal dose of vitamin A and fiber, but the pumpkin doesn't do much in the flavor department except add a hint of earthiness to the bread. So what's the point of using it at all?

Sliced loaf of pumpkin sandwich bread on a wooden cutting board, with slice toasted and spread with jam in the background.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Why You Should Add Pumpkin Purée to Your Sandwich Loaf

Aside from the joy of embracing seasonal ingredients, pumpkin's subtle complexity is exactly what's needed in a fast-rising sandwich loaf, one that doesn't undergo the sort of slow fermentation required to develop a more nuanced flavor of its own. That means you can make a loaf of really delicious bread in five hours from start to finish, without babysitting a starter or waiting on some 36-hour rise. It doesn't taste pumpkin-y, per se, but it certainly doesn't taste like a ho-hum loaf of bread. It's got character.

The loaf bakes up fluffy and light with a relatively fine crumb, making it soft and tender enough to enjoy in thick slabs with butter and jam (or griddled up as French toast), but it has enough structure to slice thinly for sandwiches, whether for PB&Js or a grilled cheese. (And, let me just say, it makes a phenomenal grilled cheese.)

A grilled cheese sandwich made with pumpkin sandwich bread, sliced into triangles, on a blue plate on a purple tablecloth.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

From a technical perspective, the recipe looks a lot like any other sandwich loaf: flour, water, salt, and yeast, plus a little fat and sugar. With pumpkin purée in place of water, butter (or roasted pumpkin seed oil) instead of a neutral fat, and maple syrup to replace white sugar.

The ingredients for pumpkin yeast sandwich bread (flour, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, butter, salt, yeast)on a white surface.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

It's way less fat than you'd see with an enriched dough like challah or brioche, just enough to lend a bit of softness to the crumb. Butter is an easy option that can also help improve flavor and browning, while roasted pumpkin seed oil is a delicious (and vegan-friendly) way add a bit of nuttiness while playing up the pumpkin theme.

The recipe may include a bit of maple syrup, but this bread is by no means sweet. Maple syrup is some 33% water, so it lends a bit of moisture to the dough while contributing more complexity and less sweetness than an equal amount of sugar. It gives the loaf a greater depth of flavor, and a subtle sweetness to enhance its flavor and rise.

A loaf of pumpkin sandwich bread sliced in half and showing a cross-section of the bread.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Using a Food Processor to Make Bread

Ultimately, those ingredients all work together to make a fairly classic sandwich loaf, but it takes some special handling to get there. Because pumpkin purée brings fibrous solid matter into the mix along with its natural water content, the dough feels horrifically dry and crumbly when worked by hand. Meanwhile, the dough hook of a stand mixer will only push lumps of flour-coated purée around the bowl, which will eventually form a crumbly mass at best.

But a food processor? A food processor will turn that seemingly dry mass of pumpkin-stained flour into a smooth and supple dough in 75 seconds flat.

Of course, the exact timing will vary depending on the size and power of a given machine, but I've tested the dough on several of our favorite food processors and found 75 seconds to be a reasonable average. Texture is more important than time.

Hands using the windowpane test to see if dough for pumpkin sandwich bread has developed enough gluten.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

The dough should process until a small chunk can be gently pulled in all directions to form a translucent sheet or, in baker-speak, a windowpane. But you don't need to be a professional baker to perform the test; it's not any more complicated than playing with a wad of chewing gum.

When the gluten isn't sufficiently developed, the dough will only shred or tear, so if it doesn't pass the "windowpane test" the loaf won't have the structure it needs to rise high—another reason the food processor is such a champ with this recipe. That level of gluten development would require the workout of a lifetime to knead by hand.

Once the gluten is properly developed, transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and proof until puffy, light, and roughly doubled in bulk.

This takes about 2 hours at 72°F (22°C), so keep a sharp eye on it in warmer environments, and take a more patient approach when it's cool. (Alternatively, you can set up a warmer environment for the dough; for example, I've found that microwaving a mug full of water until boiling creates a perfectly serviceable impromptu proof box, into which you can slide your bowl of dough.)

Shaping and Finishing the Loaf

After the initial rise, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to deflate. Degassing the dough at this stage ensures a more even crumb structure in the finished loaf, free from giant rogue bubbles that might form beneath the crust.

Dough for pumpkin yeast sandwich bread after proofing and before shaping, sitting on a floured countertop.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

To shape the loaf, pat the dough into a roughly 7-inch square, then fold the top edge down toward the middle, sealing it in place with your heel.

Fold the log down toward the bottom edge, and seal it again. Remember that shaping a loaf is more than a physical process; it is a skill, and it can take a few rounds of practice to really get the hang of it. So if the first try looks a little lumpy or uneven, chalk it up to experience and know that future rounds will be even better.

Placing a shaped log of pumpkin sandwich bread dough into a loaf pan and letting it rise before baking.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Nestle the dough into a lightly greased 8-inch loaf pan (also known as a "one-pound loaf pan"), cover, and proof as before—until the dough is roughly doubled in bulk, or crowning at about 2 inches above the pan. This is a bit higher than you can expect from most recipes because I use a higher proportion of dough in order to achieve the sort of comically domed loaf you'd see in a cartoon.

As before, this will take about 2 hours at cool room temperature, with quite a bit of leeway on either side depending on how warm or cool your kitchen is. In a truly hot environment, it may be best to move that second rise into the fridge to prevent an explosive or uneven rise from deforming the loaf.

A fully baked loaf of pumpkin sandwich bread on a rack in an oven.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Thanks to its natural color, and the sugar in the dough, the bread will brown nicely in the oven on its own, so there's no need to brush it with anything prior to baking. Just pop it in the oven and bake to an internal temperature of about 205°F (96°C), or until the loaf is well-risen, golden brown, and hollow-sounding when thumped. In an oven that runs true to dial, this will take about 45 minutes at 350°F (177°C), but the time can vary depending on the dough temperature, degree of proofing, and the loaf pan's specific size, shape, and material (as well as gauge), so keep a close eye on the loaf as it bakes.

As soon as it comes out of the oven, turn the hot loaf out onto a wire cooling rack so it won't steam itself in the pan.

While hot, the interior crumb will be fragile and soft, so resist the temptation to dig in right away; the bread will only seem gummy and wet. Once cool, however, it will have enough structure that it should be easy to cut it into ultra-thin sandwich slices (provided your bread knife is up to the task; if yours can't manage to slice anything less than 1/2-inch thick, it may be time to investigate our guide to buying the right bread knife).

A sliced loaf of pumpkin sandwich bread, with one slice facing up to show the soft interior crumb.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

It's a simple yet classic loaf that makes a fun addition to anyone's holiday baking roster, whether enjoyed with a generous smear of butter, turned into sandwiches, or torn apart for the most autumnal Thanksgiving stuffing of all.

October 2018

Recipe Details

Yeasted Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 6 hrs
Serves 8 to 10 servings
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces bread flour (about 3 1/2 cups, spooned; 455g)

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (9g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight

  • 1/4 ounce instant dry yeast, such as SAF (about 2 teaspoons; 7g); not RapidRise or active dry

  • 12 ounces pumpkin purée, canned or homemade (about 1 1/2 cups; 340g)

  • 2 ounces pure maple syrup (a shy 1/4 cup; 55g)

  • 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted (about 4 tablespoons; 55g), or 1 1/2 ounces neutral oil or roasted pumpkin seed oil (about 3 tablespoons; 42g)

Directions

  1. Making the Dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the bread flour, salt, and instant yeast together to combine. Add pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and melted butter (or oil), and process until the dough comes together in a smooth, pliable ball; the timing can vary depending on the size and power of a given food processor, but expect about 75 seconds from start to finish. To test the dough, tear off a small piece and stretch gently in all directions; when the dough is ready, it can be pulled into a thin, translucent sheet.

    Photo collage showing pumpkin yeast sandwich bread dough being kneaded in a food processor. Collage shows un-kneaded and fully kneaded and soft dough.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  2. Proofing the Dough: Lightly grease a medium bowl, then add the dough. Cover and proof at room temperature until doubled in bulk. This will take about 2 hours at around 72°F (22°C); the process will move faster at warmer temperatures, and slower when it is cool. To test the dough, poke it gently with a flour-dusted fingertip; when the dough is ready, it will retain a shallow impression that springs back after a few minutes. If the dough is firm and springs back right away, continue proofing until the dough retains a shallow impression.

    Photo collage showing pumpkin yeast sandwich bread dough before and after rising until doubled in bulk.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  3. Shaping the Dough: Turn the dough onto a work surface with just the barest sprinkling of flour, and knead for a few seconds to deflate; this creates a more uniform crumb in the loaf by eliminating large pockets of air. Pat the dough into a 7-inch square, and form into a tight log, sealing the dough together with your heel. Nestle into a lightly greased loaf pan, seam side down, then cover and proof as before (for dinner rolls, see note on shaping below). The dough will be ready when it's puffy and light, and risen about 2 inches above the rim of the pan. This will take about 2 hours at around 72°F; the process will move faster at warmer temperatures, and slower when it is cool; the dough's readiness can be tested as before. Near the end of this period, adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat to 350°F (177°C).

    Photo collage showing shaping pumpkin yeast sandwich bread dough into a rectangle and then rolling it into a log before putting it in a loaf pan.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  4. When the dough is ready, uncover and bake until well-risen, golden brown, and hollow sounding when thumped; about 45 minutes, or to an internal temperature of approximately 205°F (96°C). Immediately turn the loaf out onto a wire rack, and cool completely before slicing. The loaf will keep up to a week at room temperature in a bread box or paper bag.

    Pumpkin yeast sandwich bread loaf cooling on a wire rack on a white surface.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Special Equipment

Food processor, 8-inch aluminized steel loaf pan or 10-inch cast iron skillet, wire cooling rack

Notes

For dinner rolls, make and proof the dough as directed, then divide into approximately 12 even pieces (approximately 2 1/2 ounces or 70g each). Cup each portion of dough beneath your hand and an unfloured work surface, pinning it with your fingertips on one side and the heel of your palm on the other. Roll the dough around in quick, circular motions until the dough forms a ball, then continue until the dough is pulled smooth in a tight skin, with only a tiny seam along the bottom. If the seam is large or irregular, continue rounding until the bottom is nearly smooth. Arrange portions in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, then cover, proof, and bake as directed, reducing the amount of time to approximately 35 minutes.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The loaf will keep up to a week at room temperature in a bread box or paper bag.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
232 Calories
5g Fat
40g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 232
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 12mg 4%
Sodium 353mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 135mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)