Pumpkin Yeast Braids

Transform pumpkin and brown sugar, along with flour, salt and yeast, into a wonderful seasonal bread. The dough for Pumpkin Yeast Braids can be shaped into braided loaves or, if you prefer, into sweet little biscuits to serve with brunch or dinner.

Salt and Light

Recently we studied Matthew 5:13 in my Bible Study class. The verse is part of a section in Matthew’s gospel called the Sermon on the Mount. Here Jesus tells his followers, “You are the salt of the earth.” Our study included some discussion about the properties of salt and how it is used. It was fascinating to think about it.

Salt is so basic that we generally give it little thought at all. Like water, it is essential to life but easily available to us today and so generally taken for granted. In fact, if we do think about salt these days it is often in a negative light. Salt is thought to contribute to high blood pressure and is, therefore, often considered to be something to avoid.

Still salt is essential. What’s more, it is amazing! Just a pinch of salt will change the taste of food. It will bring out its savor and add to its goodness. And not only does salt enhance food’s flavor, it can be used to preserve it. Salt inhibits decay. It can even induce chemical activity and trigger movement in muscles that are no longer part of a living organism. Salt also cleans and purifies. It can be used in household cleaning or to heal a sore throat.

What I Love About Baking Pumpkin Yeast Braids

When used in baking, salt serves still another function. In bread, salt is used to slow the action of the yeast so the texture of the loaf is improved. The salt allows the dough to rise more evenly, avoiding large air pockets in the loaf.

That is one of the things I love about baking – kitchen chemistry! I am fascinated by the transforming reactions of fire and heat, yeast and salt, that are at work in baking bread, the staff of life. I see God’s plan for us, plus an infinite number of life lessons and so many teachable moments, in the art of baking.

For many years now, this particular recipe for Pumpkin Yeast Braids has been transforming pumpkin and brown sugar, along with flour, salt and yeast, into a wonderful seasonal bread that my family loves. They let me know they long for it around the holidays. The batch I baked last night, two braided loaves, are already gone and I will probably bake at least a dozen more loaves before the holidays are through.

Braiding loaves of bread feels natural to me. I have been shaping holiday loaves this way for many years now. It’s not that hard to learn but I understand that it can seem challenging, especially if you are new to bread-baking. If you’d rather not braid the dough you can still enjoy this wonderful pumpkin bread. Instead of baking braided loaves of Pumpkin Yeast Bread you can cut the dough into biscuits to serve for brunch or dinner. The directions are included in a note below the recipe.

Pumpkin Yeast Braids

Course: BreadCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

2

loaves

Prep time

30

minutes

Baking time

25

minutes

Rising time

2

hours 

30

minutes

Total time

3

hours 

25

minutes

Transform pumpkin and brown sugar, along with flour, salt and yeast, into a wonderful seasonal bread that will become a family favorite.

Ingredients

• 1 package yeast

• 3 1/2 cups (16 oz or 450g) flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger

• 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar, packed

• 1/2 cup (120g) milk, scalded

• 1/2 cup (122g) pumpkin

• 1/4 cup (58g) butter, melted

• 1/4 cup (56g) warm water

Directions

• Add all ingredients to a bread machine according to manufacturer’s directions. Set the machine to ‘manual’ so that you can take the dough, when ready, and shape the loaves yourself.
  (If you are not using a bread machine you can follow these steps instead:
  a. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  b. Heat the milk, pumpkin, butter and water over low heat until warm, 115 to 120F.
  c. Add pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until a dough forms.
  d. Turn the dough onto a well floured surface and knead for approximately 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  e. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn once.
  f. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place until double, approximately 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
  Now continue as follows.)
• When the dough is ready, punch down and divide it into 6 equal portions. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
• To make 2 Braided Loaves: roll each portion into a rope 15 inches long. Place ropes side by side on a greased baking sheet, one inch apart. Shape into two braids using 3 ropes for each, beginning in the middle and working out to the ends of the loaves. Pinch ends and tuck under. Cover loaves and let them rise until nearly double (approximately 1 hour).
• Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Recipe Source: Adapted from a recipe in Leisure Arts Presents The Spirit of Christmas: Book One, Creative Holiday Ideas, page 145.
• This dough can also be used to make biscuits, which are delicious served with ham, turkey or sausage for brunch or dinner. Instead of forming braids in step 3 above – roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into rounds with a floured 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter and place biscuits close together on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until golden.