Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of warm water
7 grams dried yeast
400 grams pumpkin - baked, cooled and mashed (about 2 cups)
500 grams of baking flour or oo flour (plus extra if required)
3 tablespoons of good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
handful of fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon of flax seeds (or alternate seed of choice)
1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds (or alternate seed of choice)
1 tablespoon semolina to dust (optional)
Directions:
1. Add the yeast to the warm water, whisk with a fork and leave to sit for a few minutes until the surface starts to show some bubbles
2. To a bowl combine the pumpkin, flour, oil, salt and then the yeast and water mix. Mix with one hand to combine if you have a mixer with a hook attachment use that to knead the dough until it comes together into a smooth dough. Or do it by hand if you do not have a mixer.
3. Knead the dough until it is smooth and springy soft (like play dough texture). To achieve the correct texture it will take about 6 minutes with a mixer or 10 minutes by hand. You may need to add a few extra tablespoons of flour if the dough is too sticky.
4. Once the dough is soft and springy cover the bowl with cling wrap and let sit for 1-2 hours until doubled in size
5. Remove from the bowl and add the seeds and fresh sage leaves. Sprinkle them on the dough and then fold the edges in and over. Repeat until all the seeds are incorporated and you have worked the dough for about 5 minutes.
6. Return the dough to the bowl to rest covered for another 1 hour until doubled in size
7. Heat oven to 230 degrees
8. Once the oven reaches the required temperature sprinkle the tray (or bread tin) you are baking the bread on (or in) with semolina to prevent the base of the bread from sticking
9. Bake for 10 minutes at 230 degrees then reduce heat to 180 degrees for a further 25 minutes
10. To check readiness tap the base of the bread, it should sound hollow when tapped
11. Cool on a wire rack
12. Eat warm
