Pumpkin Date Nut Bread - ABM

This is a yeast-risen pumpkin bread that lets the bread machine do the kneading and the babysitting. Drop everything in, hit the fruit and nut cycle, and walk away. The walnuts and dates wait on the counter until the addition beep tells you to add them so they don’t get pulverized in the early kneading.

Using pumpkin pie filling instead of plain pumpkin puree is a smart shortcut here. The filling already carries some of the spice and sweetness, which means you only need a light hand with the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice to round it out. Brown sugar gives the loaf a deeper caramel note than white sugar would.

A two-thirds cup of whole wheat flour and 2 tablespoons of gluten flour add structure and chew without making the loaf heavy. The gluten flour is doing important work: it offsets the bran in the wheat flour and helps the loaf rise to a full 1½-pound size despite the heavy add-ins.

Pro Tips

• Add ingredients in the exact order listed. Most bread machines need wet at the bottom and yeast at the top, kept apart from the salt.
• Bring the egg and milk to room temperature first. Cold liquids slow yeast activity and lead to a dense loaf.
• Toast the walnuts lightly before adding for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
• Let the loaf cool fully on a wire rack before slicing. Hot bread tears under a knife and feels gummy.

Variations

• Swap dates for chopped dried apricots or golden raisins for a different sweet-fruit profile.
• Use pecans instead of walnuts for a richer, slightly sweeter nut.
• Skip the spices and add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead for an even shorter ingredient list.