Pumpkin Spice Swirl Bread

Let’s start with the bad.

This week has been a doozy.

Saturday night, I hit a deer. It was not fun and very scary and I’m really happy we were in the truck and not our car. I’m sure it was even more fun for Nick, who was asleep in the passenger seat – he woke up to me screaming “Oh God, oh no!”, crying, hyperventilating, plus a little bit of dry heaving. Blech.

And remember how my computer is worthless? Okay, so, we ordered a new one for me, but it’s not here yet.

Monday, while I was working on Nick’s computer, it crashed. Enter more hyperventilating and dry heaving.

Am I just bad luck? Or a computer curse?

I currently have 4 different computers at home, but only 2 work. And those 2 don’t even belong to me.

Also, I hate not having LiveWriter. This posting directly into WordPress is killing me. It seriously took 45 minutes this morning just to upload these pictures.

But moving on – the good! Good always outweighs the bad.

Like, the truck definitely has some damage from the deer that decided to run head first into the bumper, but thank goodness it was the truck. It was a big deer and probably would have totaled our car.

And, thankfully, we have some amazing friends who are computer magicians and they fixed Nick’s computer! Not everything is up and running yet, but there is no black screen of death.

LiveWriter or no LiveWriter, I’m blogging! So that means a computer is working enough for me to tell you about this pumpkin swirl bread.

 

After finally perfecting my farmhouse bread recipe, I’ve decided that any loaf of bread I make needs to be made from that dough.

It really is fool proof.

I made this bread a week ago on a cold and rainy day when our house wasn’t very warm, and the dough still rose beautifully.

 

I wanted to try making a cinnamon swirl bread with pumpkin added for more flavor and color.

Instead of making pumpkin bread with a cinnamon swirl (which definitely may still happen), I kept the dough basic and put all the flavor into the swirl itself.

I couldn’t stay out of this bread when it came out of the oven, but the true test is always Nick. I didn’t tell him there was pumpkin in the filling until after he tried it – he’s always skeptical of anything with pumpkin, which I don’t get, because he’s loved everything lately. You’d think by now he would admit that he likes pumpkin.

I’m still working on that one.

Want a weekend project? Make this bread, thank me later, and make sure to save a few pieces for french toast. That recipe is coming, and man, is it good.

 

Pumpkin Spice Swirl Bread

Makes: 2  loaves, 12-16 slices each

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 4 and 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 2 and 1/4 cups warm water
  • 3 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or other large bowl, mix the bread flour, honey/agave, oil, salt, and yeast.
  2. Add warm water to flour mixture and mix together until the water is incorporated.
  3. Stir in the all purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough is mixed together and is easy to handle.
  4. Knead dough (with dough hook or by hand) until it is smooth and springs back when you touch it (about 5 minutes).
  5. Place the dough in a large bowl that has been coated with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and sit in a warm place to rise for 40-60 minutes or until dough has doubled.
  6. Punch dough down and divide into 2 equal pieces.
  7. Roll each piece into a rectangle (the width of your loaf pans). In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
  8. Divide the pumpkin filling between the two loaves and spread on each piece of dough. Roll up the dough and place them seam-side down in greased loaf pans.
  9. Cover the loaf pans with plastic wrap or a towel and let the dough rise, again, in a warm place 40-60 minutes, or until doubled.
  10. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place rack in the middle of the oven.
  11. Bake bread for 40-45 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and they sound hollow when tapped.
  12. Remove from the oven and let them cool 5 minutes before removing from the pans.

 

PS: Want more pumpkin? Check out my guest post over at Chocolate and Carrots today – it’s one of my favorites.

26 comments

  1. This looks incredible! Sorry about all the downers! Everything will brighten up I am sure :)

  2. I am so terrified of hitting a deer. Sometimes when I drive at night I hallucinate and think I see them in the road bc I am so scared of it. I’m glad you guys are ok!

  3. Oh no, the deer incident had to be super scary! I’m glad you are okay though! And seriously, what did we do before LiveWriter? That’s such a lifesaver. Hope things turn around soon!

  4. So sorry to hear about your accident! So scary, but I’m glad you guys are okay!

  5. mhmm… this looks very tempting indeed =)

  6. Sorry it was such a bad week, especially hitting that deer. Somehow we have lucked out and not hit one yet, despite how many there are. Hope things pick up for you!

    This bread looks simple and delicious. I love it

  7. This looks fantastic, hope your new computer shows up soon!

  8. I tell ya, when it rains it pours!! Hopefully things will start turning around soon!

  9. This is oh-so-beautiful! I love swirl breads! I bet this tastes so heavenly too. Love it!

  10. oh my gosh girl! I’m just glad you’re ok! How scary. And sorry to hear about the computers- technology can be so annoying. Now pass me a slice of that bread! I have been WAITING for this recipe!

  11. Oh my – I’m so glad you’re ok!!
    I’m starring this recipe – it looks amazing!

  12. this would make a perfect french toast! glad to hear you guys are ok (and the truck, minus some scrapes and bruises :/

  13. Omigosh- hitting the deer must have been terrifying! That and the computer issues sound like you are having a tough week! But so glad to hear that the good is outweighing the bad!

    This pumpkin swirl looks amazing!! Homemade bread kind of scares me, but maybe I need to give it a try!

  14. I’m so sorry you’ve had such an ishy week! Make sure you eat an extra slice of this incredible looking bread today. Seriously. ;)

  15. You have had quite the week! So glad you guys were ok after the run in with the deer. Your bread sounds wonderful!

  16. I love that you’re still able to make note of the positive things–yay! I hope your week improves (I’m sure this bread helped-yum :))

  17. Foolproof is definitely what I need as I’ve only attempted yeast bread once (and that was with my mom). Thank for this! Looks amazing!

  18. That must have been terrifying! I almost hit a deer once and that was enough to make me hyperventilate.

    On the other hand, this bread looks amazing. A nice change from a solid pumpkin bread. I kind of want to make a chocolate bread with the pumpkin swirl. :)

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  26. A couple of years ago my Daughter’s boyfriend asked me if I had ever seen a recipe using yeast bread with pumpkin in the middle. Years ago, an elderly lady he mowed lawns for made it, and he had never tasted anything like it. She passed away before he could get the recipe. I will try this for a Christmas present. Thank You for being adventurous enough to try new ideas.

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