Keeping with the pumpkin theme, we a lovely orange-hued, tiny-bit-sweet bread for you that requires little more effort than mixing together ingredients and being patient.
You won't get an overt THIS IS PUMPKIN flavor from this bread, but you will know it has that special something extra from the slight flavor, moistness and the aforementioned lovely color.
Even non-bakers can make this bread. The only special tool you might need is the parchment paper, but you can forgo that, even, with a well-greased cake pan.
Note: You can add the walnuts when initially mixing the ingredients, or wait until after the first long rise. Waiting will minimize the potential for the odd purplish cast walnuts can occasionally cast on baked dough projects, but it will also take a little more effort to mix the walnuts in and distribute them evenly.
Note: if you are not using instant yeast, you need to hydrate the yeast first. Then you'll start off with the sugar, water and yeast in the bowl, allowing it to bloom and start to foam before adding the rest of the ingredients.
And finally, note that the bread bakes at a high temperature so be sure to use metal cake pans, and not glass.
Pumpkin Oat Walnut Bread (no-knead)
Yield: two 10-inch loaves
Ingredients
1/4 cup light brown sugar or dark brown sugar packed
5 cups Unbleached Bread Flour
4 tablespoons olive oil
15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
2 cups cool water
1 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped (you can sub in any other nut, if you'd like, or omit)
Directions
Measure your flour it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl. Stir, then use your hands (or a stand mixer) to mix up a sticky but cohesive dough, with no spots of dry flour.
Drizzle sides of bowl with additional oil, lifting the dough to allow it to run underneath. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature overnight, or for at least 4 hours; it will become bubbly and rise quite a bit, so be sure your bowl is large enough.
When ready to bake, prepare two cake pans with parchment; set aside. If you didn't add the walnuts before, stir them in. Scoop half of the soft dough into each pan, mounding in the middle. Cover each with a sheet of greased plastic at room temperature for about an hour or until the dough becomes puffy and fills the pan.
Place the pans into a cold oven. To keep the bread's bottom crust from burning, set the rack in the middle, not at or near the bottom. Set the oven temperature to 450°F. Bake the bread for 30 to 45 minutes.
Remove the bread from the oven, turn out onto a rack, and cool before slicing.
Enjoy!
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