In Praise of Pumpkins

Just now they are inescapable, aren't they? Lanterns, cookies, decorations and mercifully, simply as vegetables. There was a time when pumpkins were only sold at this time of year. They were orange, round and best suited only for carving. Now we have greater range of squashes and pumpkins, some ornamental but others such as gem, acorn, butternut and Crown Prince with flesh that is richer both in colour and flavour. As locally grown butternuts are available now I like to make the most of them; soup, pies and, this year, bread.

Pumpkin Bread

This is my take on a recipe from Beverly Sunderland Smith's book,
Bread and Beyond.

Ingredients
375g pumpkin peeled and chopped
30g Butter
1 small onion finely chopped
a 7g sachet active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
100 - 150 ml water
500g strong white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk plus 2 teaspoons water

How to
1.Steam the pumpkin until it is very soft. Meanwhile melt the butter in a pan and cook the onion over low heat until it is softened but not brown. Take off the heat and add the steamed pumpkin to the pan and mash it till smooth. Leave to cool until warm enough to handle.
2. Sift the flour, turmeric and salt into a large bowl and stir in the yeast and sugar. Make a well in the centre and add the warm pumpkin, onion and butter mixture. Add 100ml of the water and work to make a soft dough. I know it seems a small amount of water for the amount of flour but the pumpkin puree is semi-liquid. Depending on the flour and the type of squash, it may need more liquid but work the mix first to see just how much if any.
3. Knead the dough for ten minutes until it is even and elastic.Form it into a ball and place it in  a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm place to double in bulk. This should take about an hour.
4. Punch the dough down and take off a small piece. Shape the rest into a ball, keep tucking the edges under and turning until a good shape is made. Place it on a greased baking tray. Poke a hole into the top and shape the small piece into a little stalk and pop it into the hole. Make several deep slashes around the slides - about 8 or 9. Cover again. This time it might be better to use a large polythene bag and ensure it won't touch the rising dough. Leave in a warm place for another hour to rise and double in size.
Heat the oven to 220 deg C.
5. When the loaf has risen, make a glaze with the egg yolk and water. Brush on the glaze leaving the slashes unglazed. Bake for 25 mins or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Made like this, the loaf makes a good centrepiece for  a seasonal feast, cut into wedges with soup or sliced with cheese or ham and chutney. It could of course be shaped into a more conventional loaf. 
 I added the turmeric for flavour and extra colour but I think this would be worth experimenting with herbs and or spices.