Avoid soggy bottoms: Perfect your pumpkin bread technique
This is the perfect time to bake delicious pumpkin bread. Its flavor is so versatile that it can be served sweet, perhaps with jam, or savory, with melted cheese. Unfortunately, baking pumpkin bread often results in a soggy bottom. If you want to reduce the risk of failure, learn this trick.
1:46 PM EDT, October 11, 2024
Risen and fluffy, yet soft and moist, pumpkin bread is a great addition to the autumn menu. It's a sin not to take advantage of the good things nature provides us with in the form of seasonal vegetables. Pumpkin is one of the most versatile culinary vegetables, even though we haven't fully explored its potential yet. Let this pumpkin bread recipe help you discover the possibilities of pumpkin.
Pumpkin bread: Why does it get a soggy bottom?
Bread with the addition of pumpkin will be pleasantly fluffy and, at the same time, moist if you follow the recipe. Some are tempted to add pumpkin purée (instead of grated pumpkin), which is not always a good idea. Keep in mind that the high moisture content of such purée can overly weigh down the batter and ultimately result in a soggy bottom.
Of course, not every pumpkin has loose flesh when baked: purée from a regular pumpkin will be watery, while butternut squash will give us a firm and meaty mousse. It's important to remember that baked goods should be handled gently and with caution, and experimenting with purée can simply end up with a soggy bottom.
Pumpkin bread with dry yeast: Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups warm water,
- 1/2 oz instant dry yeast,
- 2 level teaspoons of sugar,
- 25 oz all-purpose flour,
- 2-3 teaspoons of salt,
- 7 oz shelled pumpkin seeds,
- 10 oz pumpkin (peeled).
Preparation:
- Grate the pumpkin using a coarse grater.
- Sift the flour into a bowl, add the dry yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix everything, then add the water and stir again to combine the ingredients.
- Add the grated pumpkin and pumpkin seeds to the mixture (leave about 1 oz for sprinkling on the pan). You can chop the seeds beforehand.
- Knead the dough, and once ready, set it aside to rise (covered, in a warm place).
- Grease a loaf pan with butter and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
- When the dough doubles in size, lightly knead it on a floured surface, then place it in the pan. Set aside for another 10 minutes to rise.
- Bake the dough at 390°F for 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Once done, leave the bread in the pan for 10 minutes after removing it from the oven.
- Then cool on a rack.
