Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients 

 8oz (250g) pumpkin, peeled and chopped 

12oz (360g) strong plain flour 

1½ teaspoons of salt 

¼ teaspoon turmeric (this is optional but it does give the bread a nice colour) 

¼ teaspoon garam masala (optional) 

1½ teaspoons (7g) dried yeast (fast-action is best) 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (rapeseed if possible) 

Optional: melted butter, grated cheese for topping (about a handful). 

Method 

 • Cook the pumpkin – 5 minutes in the microwave with a tablespoon of water should do it.  Mash it until it’s smooth and then leave to cool down to body heat. 

• Put the flour in a large bowl, add the salt, turmeric, yeast (and spice if you are using it) and mix together. 

• Add the oil to the cooled pumpkin and mix well then stir into the flour mixture. You can add a tablespoon of warm (body heat) water to bind it together. 

• Knead the dough for about 10 minutes – it will be sticky and you may need to dust your work surface with a little of the strong bread flour. 

 • Oil a large bowl and put the dough in it to prove for about an hour until it’s doubled in size. 

• When it has risen, take it out of the bowl and knead it for another 5 minutes, then roll it into a large sausage shape. 

• Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces – these should weigh around 3oz/85g each – and put them on an oven tray. Leave them to prove for another 30 minutes. 

• While they are proving heat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. 

• Bake the rolls for 30 minutes. If you are using the grated cheese option, sprinkle some onto each roll and pop back in the oven for another 1–2 minutes. 

• You can brush the tops with melted butter if you like shiny rolls.