This is delicious. No other way to describe it. Biggest thing – DO NOT OVERBAKE IT!!! 🙂 It seems like a lot of steps – don’t be overwhelmed. AND IF you don’t want to go to the trouble to brown the butter – then don’t. It will still be yummy – just won’t have that browned butter – nutty – flavor..
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- Bread
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup warm milk (I used 1%)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (this is one envelope)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being very careful not to allow it burn as it will burn very quickly. I brown it, then run it thru a small metal sieve, which pulls all the really brown parts out as you don't need that part.
- Once the butter is browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the warmed milk. Then return to the stove, and warm it completely through.
- Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer and allow to cool to warm instead of hot. Do not allow to cool completely - you need some heat to get the yeast to activate. Too hot and the yeast will die - too cool and it won't proof!
- Once it is warm - add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow the mixture to proof - it gets very bubbly - it took about 10 minutes.
- Add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of bread flour. Stir until combined. Add 1/2 cup at a time, mix well, then add another 1/2 cup until all the flour is incorporated into the dough. Knead about 6-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. If it remains sticky after the kneading, add 1 Tbsp of flour at a time until it's no longer sticky.
- Remove from bowl, place in greased bowl, cover with a towel and place in a warm place. Let rise about 60 minutes or until it's doubled in size.
- While dough is rising, brown another 2 Tbs of unsalted butter. Mix in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Make sure it's well combined.
- Grease a large loaf pan OR a Bundt pan (I think the Bundt pan makes a prettier bread!)
- When the dough is doubled in size, move it to a lightly floured board and punch it down. Roll out to a 14x20 rectangle. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture, press into dough. Cut the rectangle into strips, then into strips again (depends how big you want the pull apart pieces to be!) Stack the strips, cut into bite size pieces and place into the bundt or loaf pan in different directions, etc. Cover with a towel and let rise again for about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes, it depends on the pan - I almost overbaked the first set I made - it was in a heavy Bundt pan and didn't appear to be baked through, so I left it in another few minutes, it was fine, but watch it closely!
- After it is baked, remove from oven to a rack. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, turn out onto a platter or tray.
- Let the bread cool another 10 minutes, then pour the warm glaze all over the top.
- Recipe for the Rum Glaze up next!
Here is Rum Glaze Recipe!
