Seasonal Pumpkin Cornmeal Bread with the BBB

This month we have a nice seasonal bread for fall: Pumpkin Cornmeal Bread!  It's not super pumpkin flavored, just enough to give it some lovely color and a nice soft crumb that still holds up to spreading semi-firm butter.  It would actually make great sandwiches and I think fabulous french toast.  But we have been enjoying it fresh with butter.  Next, butter and jam.

I went with volumes instead of weights this time because I was pressed for time and also used more squash (I used butternut instead of pumpkin because it needed to be used up), and millet flour instead of corn, because of our corn allergy.  But check out the other babes' posts and you will see weight conversions if you prefer that method.  I also used maple syrup instead of molasses, because it seemed appropriate to pair with pumpkin and fall.  I used less though since maple is quite sweet.  Oh and I also happily found that heating up the water in my hot water dispenser to boiling, then adding to cold from the fridge buttermilk, gave me a perfect 109ºF mixture.  I divided the dough in half and then made 6 rolls and one mini loaf out of one half, and tried out the other half in my clay baker.

This is a really delightful bread which my girls are quickly demolishing.  We'd love for you to try it out and share your results with us!  You don't have to have a blog to participate, a picture will do.  Just send a picture or your post of your finished bread to the host kitchen by the 29th of this month.  You will receive a Bread Baking Buddy graphic to keep or add to your post, and be included in our Buddy round up at the end of the month.  New recipes are posted every month on the 16th.  Check out our Facebook group to see most of the Babes' baking results during that time.

Pumpkin Cornmeal Bread

Yield:  2 or 3 loaves or 24 dinner rolls

1½  tablespoons active dry yeast (1½ packets) I used 1 tbsp + ¾ tsp instant yeast

Pinch of sugar left this out

1 cup warm water (105˚ to 115˚F)

1 cup warm buttermilk (105˚ to 115˚F)

5 tablespoons melted butter or oil

1/3 cup light molasses I used ¼ cup maple syrup

½ cup pumpkin purée (either canned or homemade) I used butternut purée

1 tablespoon salt I scanted this measurement

1 cup fine- or medium-grind yellow cornmeal I substituted millet flour

1 cup medium rye flour light rye

4 ½ to 4 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour 1 cup first clear flour, 3 ¾ cups all purpose

In a large bowl, combine warm water, sugar, buttermilk, melted butter/oil, molasses, yeast, and pumpkin purée.  Add in salt, cornmeal, and rye flour, and beat for a few minutes until smooth.

Add the all-purpose flour or bread flour ½ cup at a time, until a soft dough is achieved.  Knead until dough is smooth and slightly tacky, either by hand or with a dough hook.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until double, about 1½ to 2 hours, depending on your kitchen temperature.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 2 or 3 equal round portions.  Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel.  Let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 45 minutes.

To make dinner rolls, divide the dough into 24 equal portions and shape as desired.

Place on a parchment-lined baking pan or baking dish, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 20 minutes.  You can also place in refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight.

Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375˚.  While the oven is heating, brush the tops with melted butter.  (I brushed my mini loaf and rolls with a mixture of egg yolk, ½ egg white, and milk).

Bake on the center rack of the oven until golden brown:  40-45 minutes for larger loaves or 15 to 18 minutes for rolls and mini loaves.  Remove from oven and let cool on rack until completely cool before slicing.

(adapted from Bread for All Seasons by Beth Hensperger)

The rest of the Bread Baking Babes:

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth
• Judy’s Gross Eats – Judy
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
• Notitie Van Lien – Lien
• My Diverse Kitchen - Aparna
• Bread Experience - Cathy
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
• Bake My Day - Karen
• Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle 

Approximate nutrition for 1 roll :