Pumpkin bread

The only thing better than bread, is orange bread. That's right. Orangey pumpkin bread. The thing about bread is that it's a lot easier than it looks - you mix stuff in a bowl, and leave it, then bake it. Peasy. 

Pumpkin bread


4 cups plain flour
2 cups pumpkin, diced 
1 tablespoon dried yeast
salt
water


Cook your pumpkin - the easiest way is to microwave it for about 5 minutes, until it's nice and soft. Leave until it's cool enough to handle. Mix your yeast in a bowl with a little lukewarm water while you wait for the pumpkin to cook and cool.


Mash the pumpkin, and mix it through the flour in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the yeast and mix everything together - use your hands, it's great fun, but keep one of them clean so you can grab more flour or water without covering the kitchen in sticky bread dough. 


At this point, you may or may not need to add more lukewarm water or flour.  Depending on the type of pumpkin, it will vary in how much moisture it contributes. The dough should stick together, but not be sticky. Start kneading at it, and see how it looks. 


After 5 minutes or so, you'll be tired, so both you and your bread should rest. Cover the bowl with gladwrap and leave it some place cosy for an hour or so. 


Have a cup of tea. 


By now, your dough should have risen, and be sitting there in the bowl, looking amazing - and, importantly, orange. Take it out of the bowl, and separate into bread bun sized lumps, then shape. I like to brush mine with a little oil at this stage, and sprinkle with salt. 


Place on a baking tray, and leave to proof for another half hour or so, or until your oven has heated up to 180C. Bake for around 10-15 minutes, when they should just be starting to colour and sound hollow when you tap their crusty little bottoms (that sounds rather rude, actually).