This adorable pumpkin shaped pumpkin bread is the perfect fall centrepiece. It looks impressive but is actually really easy to make! A lightly spiced pumpkin flavoured bread dough is tied with string before baking; as the dough bakes it bulges out between the strings, forming pumpkin shaped segments.
There are a lot of recipes for pumpkin shaped breads, but most of them are just standard white bread or sourdough and don't actually contain any pumpkin. This one is made using real pumpkin puree, which gives it a beautiful colour as well as adding flavour. I also add a touch of pumpkin spice to give the loaves a nicely spiced, Autumnal flavour.
The shape may look impressive and complex, but it is actually really easy to achieve by tying strings around the dough before it is baked. As the dough expands in the oven, it spreads out between the tied strings, forming segments which look just like a real pumpkin.
The recipe makes two pumpkin shaped loaves, they are only mildly sweet, so work well as both sweet or savoury. It is a great accompaniment to soups and stews, or toast it and serve with jam for breakfast.
Ingredient Details:
Tinned pumpkin puree: You need to use pure pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. It is available from many larger supermarkets in the UK, or online. See instructions below for how to make your own.
Bread flour: White bread flour helps to give this pumpkin shaped pumpkin bread it's soft, fluffy, chewy texture. I don’t recommend using wholemeal flour as that will make the bread too dense.
Instant yeast: I always prefer to use instant yeast when making bread as it can just be added straight to the flour and doesn’t need to be activated first.
Oil: Any neutral flavoured oil that is liquid at room temperature will work. I tend to use olive oil, but sunflower, canola, avocado or vegetable oils are also good.
Salt: You simply cannot make good bread without salt. Don’t omit it.
Pumpkin spice: I use a shop bought pumpkin spice blend. In the UK it is readily available online or you can use a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. You can also omit the spice if you prefer.
Maple syrup: Adds a touch of sweetness as well as flavour and moisture.
String: You will need kitchen string or twine to make the pumpkin shape. Make sure that it is heat-proof - so no plastic!
Optionally you will also need a pecan nut split in half and a couple of small bay leaves or sage leaves to make the stalk and leaf. You can also use a small cinnamon stick for the stalk.
How To Make Pumpkin Shaped Pumpkin Bread:
(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)
- Step 1: To make the dough, combine the flour, yeast, salt, pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Step 2: Knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes until smooth and stretchy, it may not reach a windowpane stage due to the pumpkin.
- Step 3: Place in an oiled bowl, cover and set aside to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Step 4: Punch down the risen dough, divide it in half and shape each half into a neat ball.
- Step 5: Cut four long pieces of string. Lay two of them out in a cross then lay the other two across the first two to create a total of eight spokes radiating from a centre point.
- Step 6: Place the shaped dough seam side up on top of the string. Bring the opposite ends of each piece of string up and over the loaf and tie a loose knot on top of the dough. The string should sit on the surface, not cut into it. Trim the long ends close to the knot.
- Step 7: Flip the shaped ball of dough over and place on a lined baking sheet. Repeat with the other ball of dough, loosely cover and set aside to rise until puffy.
- Step 8: Use a lame or sharp knife to score each of the dough sections.
- Step 9: Gently brush the dough with the glaze then bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Step 10: Snip the strings and pull them out of the grooves. Brush the cooked loaves with melted butter or maple syrup if you like and add a pecan half and a bay leaf for decoration.
Top Tips:
USE SCALES. As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scales rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
For the teaspoon and Tablespoon measurements, please use proper measuring spoons, not just regular spoons. A teaspoon is 5ml and a Tablespoon is 15ml.
Make sure that your yeast isn't out of date! Old yeast can lead to dough that doesn’t rise.
The rising time of the dough will vary depending on how warm it is; on hot days it will rise much faster than on cold ones.
When tying the strings to shape the loaves, make sure to tie them loosely so that there is room for the dough to expand.
Instead of brushing the bread with the glaze before baking you can instead dust it with flour.
Slashing the dough with a lame or sharp knife before baking it ensures that the dough expands in a predicable way while it bakes, rather than bursting and cracking randomly. You can also make cuts with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors.
FAQs:
As with most home-made bread, this pumpkin bread is best eaten on the day it is baked. It will keep for about 3 days however. After a day it is nicest if you warm it up gently before serving to refresh it.
Store it in an airtight container or bread bin at room temperature. It should not be placed in the fridge as that can make it go stale faster.
Yes, make sure the loaves have cooled completely first and freeze them on the day they are baked to preserve freshness. Freeze in a sealed freezer bag, either whole or in slices.
Yes! Use the same shaping technique (but with shorter pieces of string). The recipe will make around 15 rolls and they will take around 20 minutes to bake.
Halve and de-seed an eating pumpkin (NOT a carving one) or a butternut squash. Place cut side down on a baking tin lined with parchment and roast for 45-75 minutes at 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/ gas mark 6 until the flesh is soft when poked with a sharp knife. The time it takes will very much depend on how large the pumpkin/squash is so just cook it until the flesh can easily be pierced.
Let cool until cool enough to handle, then scoop out the flesh, discarding the skin, and purée it in a food processor until smooth. Allow to cool completely before using in a recipe. Store in the fridge.
No, I’m afraid that you cannot use gluten free flour. Making gluten free bread is tricky and the entire recipe would need reworking. Gluten free baking is not my area of expertise so I cannot advise you. It is best to use a recipe that is designed to be gluten free rather than trying to adapt a non gluten free recipe.
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Pumpkin Shaped Pumpkin Bread (vegan)
Equipment
- kitchen string/twine (do not use synthetic string)
- Stand mixer with dough hook (optional)
- lame (optional)
Ingredients
Dough:
- 600 g (5 cups) white bread flour
- 10 g (3 teaspoons) instant/fast action yeast
- 10 g (1 ¾ teaspoons) salt
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 270 g (1 cup + 2 Tablespoons) pumpkin puree
- 80 g (¼ cup) maple syrup
- 73 g (⅓ cup) olive oil
- 120 g (½ cup) water
Glaze:
- 1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Decoration:
- 1 pecan nut, split in half lengthways
- 2 small bay leaves (optional)
Instructions
- To make the dough, combine the flour, yeast, salt, pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.600 g (5 cups) white bread flour, 10 g (3 teaspoons) instant/fast action yeast, 10 g (1 ¾ teaspoons) salt, 3 teaspoons pumpkin spice, 270 g (1 cup + 2 Tablespoons) pumpkin puree, 80 g (¼ cup) maple syrup, 73 g (⅓ cup) olive oil, 120 g (½ cup) water
- Knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes until smooth and stretchy, it may not reach a windowpane stage due to the pumpkin. The dough should be soft and very sticky but not wet. Alternatively you can knead the dough by hand on an un-floured surface. Use a bench scraper to unstick the dough from the surface as needed.
- Use oiled hands to shape the dough into a ball, place it in an oiled bowl, cover and set aside to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Punch down the risen dough, give it a brief knead to knock out any air then divide it in half. Shape each half into a neat ball by pulling the sides into the centre and pinching them together. Flip the dough seam side down, cup it with your hands on either side and roll it until it is smooth; you are trying to create surface tension but don't go so far that the surface tears.
- Cut 8 long pieces of string, about 43 cm/17 in long. Lay two of them in a cross shape on the work surface, then lay another two across the first two, to create 8 spokes radiating from a centre point.
- Place one of the shaped balls of dough seam side up on top of the middle of the string. Bring the opposite ends of each piece of string up and over the loaf and tie them together on top of the dough. The string should sit loosely on the surface of the dough, not cut into it. Trim the long ends close to the knot.
- Repeat with the other ball of dough, flip them over and place well spaced apart on a lined baking sheet. Loosely cover with oiled clingfilm and set aside to rise until puffy, about 45 minutes. The dough should have started to bulge out between the pieces of string and if you press it gently with a fingertip it should spring back slowly most of the way but leave a small indentation. If it springs back quickly and fills in all the way then they need a little bit longer.
- While the dough is rising preheat the oven to 200℃/180℃ fan/400℉/gas mark 6. To make the glaze stir together the milk, maple syrup and oil in a small bowl.1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk, 1 Tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Once the dough has risen, use a lame or sharp knife to score each of the dough sections. You can cut a single slash up the middle of the section, or make smaller, angled cuts. You can also make snips with a pair of kitchen scissors.
- Gently brush the dough with the glaze (or dust with flour instead) then bake for 30-35 minutes until the loaves are deep brown and the temperature in the centre registers 90°C/194°F on a probe thermometer or they sound hollow when tapped on the base.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes then snip the strings and pull them out of the grooves. Brush the loaves with melted vegan butter or maple syrup if you like. Use a pair of scissors to cut a small X in the centre of the loaves and push a pecan nut half into the hole to make the stems, add a bay leaf as well if you like.1 pecan nut, , 2 small bay leaves
- Allow the loaves to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before serving.
Notes
- See post above for tips, details, storage instructions and step-by-step photos. If you have a question about the recipe I may have already answered it above!
- USE SCALES. As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scales rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
- When tying the strings to shape the loaves, make sure to tie them loosely so that there is room for the dough to expand.
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