Holiday Pumpkin Bread

We gather at a table and there is always bread and Thanksgiving is no exception.  Holiday Pumpkin bread makes the house smell delicious and it is so easy to make.

As I prepare to bake this bread, my nonna Emilia’s rules about bread making. This is her version of a typical holiday bread that she made with raisins and nuts.  I add pumpkin to blend in with the season.

We were never allowed to turn bread over brings bad luck. This superstition stemmed from the middle ages and if you want to know more about it go to: https://curiousrambler.com/bread-and-bad-luck/ Today, I feel good about this bread and I am taking a sweet bread recipe and adding some pumpkin to it. If you like toasting bread, then don’t ice it and put it in the toaster.

The pumpkin meets the eggs.

The dough is soft and pliable.

Into a bowl it goes.

Add the nuts and raisins.

Golden brown and it can go into the freezer.

Iced and decorated.

 

 

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups flour reserve the 1/2 cup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp quick rise yeast
1/2 cup warm milk
4 large eggs
1 tbsp Cointreau liquor
1/2 cup butter melted
1/2 cup raw pumpkin
1 cup golden raising
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
orange coloured sprinkles

Icing: 1/2 cup icing sugar per loaf, add 1 tbsp orange liqueur and use various decorations

Instructions

• In a small bowl combine the warm milk, with the sugar and the yeast.
• Let this sit.
• In your mixer bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and the salt and make a well.
• Use a medium bowl add the eggs, pumpkin and orange liqueur. Beat these.
• Melt the butter.
• Pour the egg mixture into the well, then the yeast and lastly the butter.
• Put the bowl on your mixer stand and beat until everything comes together.
• If the dough isn’t pulling away from the sides a bit, then add the remainder 1/2 cup flour. I did.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead.
• The dough should be soft and pliable.
• Oil a large bowl and put the dough inside.
• Cover with plastic wrap and drape a table cloth over the bowl.
• Let it sit for 45 minutes.
• It should double in size.
• Prepare a large baking pan by lining it with parchment paper.
• Turn it onto the counter again and cut into 2 equal pieces.
• Roll dough onto counter and add your raisins and nuts.
• Next roll out into cords.
• Pinch the ends of the cords and twist.
• Bring the ends together.
  Place the 2 loaves onto the parchment paper, cover with a tea towel and let sit another 20 minutes.
• Put into a 350 F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. It should be golden brown.
• Place onto a rack and let cool.
• Mix the icing sugar with the liqueur and decorate.
• These freeze well. Don’t ice before freezing.