Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin bread has a bad wrap, and that's a shame. For a moist and flavorful loaf, fresh pumpkin and freshly ground cinnamon are key. For this application, you'll want to use pepitas or Mexican pumpkin seeds. These crunchy beauties have had their hulls removed. Do not use the unhulled seeds that come out of a standard jack-o-lantern...just trust me. This recipe first appeared in Season 5 of Good Eats. Photo by Lynne Calamia
ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 1 (9-inch) loaf
Software
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups shredded fresh pumpkin
- 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Specialized Hardware
- Digital kitchen scale
Procedure
- Heat oven to 325ºF. Coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan or a standard 12-cup muffin tin with butter and flour.
- Take the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt for a spin in your food processor, then more them to a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine both mixtures and fold inDon't worry if there are a few lumps. the shredded pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, pour into the prepared loaf pan or muffin tin. - Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes. At this point, a knife inserted into the middle of the loaf should come out clean and a digital instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 200°F. Cool for 15 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. For muffins, temperature should also be 325ºF, but bake for 30 minutes.