Pumpkin Spelt Bread
Yields: two 9X5 Loaves
Soft and light spelt bread with fresh roasted pumpkin and fall spices. Although this bread smells like pumpkin pie coming out of the oven the flavour is much subtler and would be perfect as the bread course for a festive dinner. The pumpkin adds flavour but also works to give this bread incredible moistness. In order to ensure good gluten development to make this bread as light as possible, the dough is mixed in two stages. The dough is first mixed without the pumpkin, oil and sugar to medium gluten development and then the remaining ingredients are incorporated. The results are well worth the effort.
375g (3 Cups) Anita’s All Purpose White Spelt Four
250g (2 Cups) Anita’s All Purpose Flour
125g (1 Cup) Anita’s Stone Ground Spelt Flour
530g (2 cups plus 2t) water at room temperature
15g (2.5 teaspoons) fine sea salt
6g (1.5 teaspoons) instant yeast
200g (¾ cup) roasted pumpkin
50g (4t) brown sugar
30g (2t) sunflower oil
1 t ceylon cinnamon
½ t fresh ground nutmeg
¼ t each ground ginger, cloves, and allspice
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook add the water, yeast, flours and salt. Mix on low speed just until fully incorporated scraping the bow if necessary. Rest the dough in the bowl for 15 minutes.
Mix together the roasted pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, and spices and set aside.
After resting the dough mix on low speed (Kitchen Aid 2) for 6 minutes.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the bowl mix on low speed stopping frequently to scrape down the bowl and fold over the dough with a rubber spatula until the pumpkin mixture is mostly incorporated and the dough hook begins grabbing on to the dough.
Mix on medium speed (Kitchen Aid 4) for 5-7 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn dough out into an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes.
Stretch and fold the dough. Begin by grabbing one side of the dough with both hands (wet your hands so they don’t stick) and gently pulling it up and folding it back down over the top. Don’t over stretch the dough to the point of tearing. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you have gone all the way around (4 folds). Allow the dough to rise for another 45 minutes or until it has roughly doubled in size.
Turn the dough out on a lightly floured counter and divide in two.
Pre-shape the dough into a ball and let it rest for 20 minutes before final shaping.
Preheat the oven to 400F with the rack one down from the middle.
Gently degass the dough and shape into an oblong loaf and place in a greased 9x5 metal loaf pan.
Cover loosely with lightly greased plastic and allow to rise for 60-90 minutes at warm room temperature until a dampened or floured finger makes an indent that slowly bounces back but not fully.
Place in the loaves in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375F.
Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden to dark brown and the internal temperature reads 200F on an instant read thermometer.
Remove from the oven. Remove from the pan immediately and cool on a wire rack. They may be stick to the pans when they first come out but will loosen up after a couple of minutes.