Pumpkin Yeast Bread

Something for pumpkin fans. I love pumpkin. Dishes made with it remind me of the sun, they give warmth, and on top of that they taste wonderful. Until now I had only made pumpkin cakes, kopytka (Polish potato dumplings) and soups. Today I decided to try something new, although there are really so many possibilities, since it's such a versatile vegetable/fruit.

This bread is a little like challah. It's tender and not too sweet. The recipe was inspired by one from the German magazine Viva from 2006.

Instructions:

In a bowl, mix the flour with the sugar and 3 tbsp of the milk. Add the yeast, mix lightly, and set aside for 15 minutes to rise. After that time, add 50 g sugar, 200 ml milk and the cooled butter. Knead everything together and set aside, covered, for an hour.

Cut the pumpkin into 2-centimeter cubes and steam until soft, but not mushy. I steamed mine. Let it cool and blend it with 30 g sugar and 3 tbsp milk. Add the pudding powder and mix.

Knead the risen dough well and roll it out into a 30x30 cm square. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the dough and roll it up into a log. Cut the log in half lengthwise and twist the two halves together almost like a braid. Pinch the ends together well. Place it in a loaf pan and set aside, covered, to rise for about 15 minutes.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F). In a convection oven, bake at about 180°C (350°F). You can cover the bread with aluminum foil if it browns too quickly.

Enjoy!