Homemade Pumpkin Spice Bread

Pumpkin spice bread done as a yeast-risen loaf is a different creature from the quick-bread version you find in coffee-shop displays, denser, more bread-like, and built for actual sandwiches as well as toast. The bread machine handles all the heavy work, just dump in bread flour, brown sugar, real pumpkin puree, the four-spice quartet of cinnamon-clove-nutmeg-allspice, and active dry yeast and press start. The brown sugar feeds the yeast a slow, deep sweetness and adds caramel notes to the crumb that white sugar wouldn’t deliver. Pumpkin puree replaces some of the liquid and pushes the bread toward that signature mottled-orange color and faint earthy sweetness. Use canned pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, the pie mix is pre-sweetened and pre-spiced and will throw the recipe off balance. The full set of fall spices is what carries this loaf, light handed and you’ll lose the cozy autumn character that justifies the name.

Kitchen Tips

• Add ingredients in your machine’s recommended order, usually liquids first, then dry, with yeast on top and away from salt and water until mixing begins.
• Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, the latter contains added sugar and spices that will throw off the recipe.
• Check the dough texture about 5 minutes into mixing, pumpkin puree has variable moisture content, add a tablespoon of water or flour if it looks too dry or wet.
• Brush the warm loaf with melted butter right out of the machine for a softer crust that’s easier to slice.

Variations

• Knead half a cup of toasted pecans or pumpkin seeds into the dough before the final rise for crunch.
• Add a quarter cup of golden raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dates for sweet fruit pockets.
• Glaze the cooled loaf with a simple cream cheese frosting drizzle for a more dessert-leaning version.