Pumpkin Shaped Bread

4.85 from 142 votes

This soft and fluffy pumpkin shaped bread only takes 60 minutes to make and creates the most beautiful centerpiece for your fall holiday table. A lightly enriched yeast dough tied with kitchen twine bakes into perfect pumpkin segments, finished with a cinnamon stick stem.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

proofing30

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 158kcal

Author: Liz Marek

Equipment

Stand mixer with dough hook
Razor blade
Bakers twine

Ingredients

28 ounces bread flour or all purpose (about 5 ½ cups, spooned and leveled)
10 grams instant yeast needs to be instant (about 3 teaspoons)
2 ounces sugar (4 Tablespoons)
18 ounces warm milk (110ºF) or water (two cups)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 ounces olive oil or melted butter (¼ cup)
1 large egg for the egg wash
1 Tablespoon water for the egg wash
1 large cinnamon stick or caramel apple stick for the stem
1 Tablespoon melted butter to brush onto the finished bread

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the dough. Combine bread flour, instant yeast, sugar, and warm milk in the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Mix on low for one minute.
Adjust and knead. Add the salt and olive oil, then knead on speed 2 for about 8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and clearing the sides of the bowl. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time if too wet, or 1 tablespoon of water at a time if too dry.
After 5 minutes, run the windowpane test by pinching off a piece of dough and stretching it between your fingers. If it stretches thin without tearing, the gluten is developed. If it tears, knead 2 more minutes and test again.
First proof. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 4 or 5 turns to form a smooth ball. Place seam side up in a lightly oiled bowl, then flip so the top is coated. Cover with a clean cloth and proof in a warm spot for about 25 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Divide and shape. Punch the dough down, divide into two equal pieces, and shape each into a smooth round by pulling the edges into the center. Pinch the seam closed underneath.
Arrange the twine. For each loaf, lay two 20-inch pieces of twine in a cross on the parchment-lined pan, then lay two more across the first two for a total of eight spokes radiating from a center point. Place the shaped dough seam side down on top of the twine.
Egg wash. Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush a thin even coat over each loaf using a soft pastry brush. Do not skip the wash or the bread will bake pale.
Tie loosely. Bring opposite ends of each twine piece up and over the loaf and tie a loose knot on top of the dough. The twine should sit on the surface, not cut into it. Trim the long ends close to the knot.
Score the sides. Use a razor blade or sharp paring knife to cut a few shallow wheat-pattern slashes into the side of each segment between the twine.
Bake. Bake at 375º F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are deep golden brown and the internal temperature reads 190 to 200º F on an instant-read thermometer.
Cool, untie, and add the stem. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully snip and slide the twine out of the grooves. Press a cinnamon stick or candy apple stick into the center as the pumpkin stem. Brush with melted butter for a glossy finish if desired. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Ingredient notes: Bread flour gives the best segment definition. All-purpose works but the segments will be softer. Whole wheat works at 24 ounces (not 28) because it absorbs more liquid.
Instant vs. active dry yeast: This recipe is written for instant yeast. If using active dry, bloom it in the warm milk and sugar for 10 minutes first, then expect the proof to take 90 minutes instead of 25. Shape, egg wash, tie, and score, then rest 30 minutes before baking.
Proofing trick: Turn your oven on to 170º F, then turn it off and open the door. Set the bowl on the open oven door (NOT inside the oven) for the perfect proofing environment.
Egg wash substitute: Brush with milk for similar (but slightly paler) browning if you are out of eggs or have an allergy.
Make-ahead and storage: Bake the day before, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic at room temperature. Refresh in a 300º F oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Do not refrigerate. Freezes well for up to one month wrapped in plastic and foil.
Critical do-nots: Do not tie the twine tight. Do not use synthetic string. Do not skip the egg wash if you want the lacquered golden top. Do not over-proof on the pan after tying. Get the loaves in the oven within 5 to 10 minutes of tying.

Nutrition