Multigrain English Muffins (Sourdough)

Sourdough English muffins with the added fiber and nutrition of a variety of grains.

Submitted to YeastSpotting

I enjoy English muffins.  They are a fun bread that is great for breakfast sandwiches, or any kind of sandwich.  To me a good English muffin is chewy and deeply browned on the outside and soft in the center.  These were just that and the grains added more nutrition and texture while the sourdough added a great depth of flavor.  These muffins are about 30 percent grains.  I may try these again, adding more grains, but I won't be making plain white English muffins again, these are definitely a new favorite.

Multigrain English Muffins (Sourdough)

Ingredients:

Soaker:
11 grams rolled barley (or oats)
11 grams corn meal
7 grams oat bran
7 grams flax seeds
7 grams ground flax seed
43 grams water

Final Dough:
85 grams soaker (above)
200 grams barm, room temperature and active
184 grams bread flour
7 grams sugar
5 grams salt
14 grams shortening
20 grams dry milk
93 grams water, room temperature

The night before you plan to make the English muffins, prepare the soaker.  In a small bowl add the grains (you can use any combination of grains adding up to 43g total) and water, stirring until combined.  Cover bowl tightly and let sit over night.  It is also a good idea to make sure your sourdough barm is refreshed and you have at least 200 grams of it.

The next day, in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the soaker, and the rest of the ingredients.  Stir with the paddle attachment, on low speed, until all of the flour is hydrated and the ingredients form a ball (you may need to add more water or flour).

Then switch to the dough hook and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is soft, tacky, smooth, and elastic.  Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, rolling to coat all over with oil, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm area for about 4 hours until the dough has doubled in size.

When the dough has doubled, gently remove from bowl and divide into 8 pieces, about 76g each.  Try to degas the dough as little as possible.  Form each piece into small boule shapes, stretching the dough over the top and sides and pinching the seam closed underneath.  Lay bouls, seam side down, on a cookie sheet covered with lightly oiled parchment paper.  Cover the pans with plastic wrap, and let rise for about 2 hours more until the bouls have almost doubled in size.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, about 350F, and lightly oil the pan.  Also preheat the oven to 350F.  Using a metal spatula, gently lift a dough ball off the parchment and slide onto the hot skillet.  Do not press down on the dough, the top side will swell a bit and then flatten once the dough is flipped.  Fill the skillet with dough balls leaving 1 inch in between (I can usually fit 4 at once in my 8 inch skillet).  Fry the dough for about 7-10 minutes.  The dough will brown quickly, but will not burn for a while so be patient.  Then, flip the dough balls and fry the other side for 7-10 minutes.  Remove the muffins from the skillet and immediately place in the heated oven for 10 minutes more.  While first batch is baking, proceed with the rest of the dough.

Allow muffins to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and eating.  This recipe makes 8 English muffins.  Enjoy.

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Light Wheat and Flax Sandwich Bread (sourdough)

A light wheat bread with 30% whole wheat flour and 6% ground flax seeds.  A nutritious, soft, and sweet loaf.

Submitted to YeastSpotting
Now on YeastSpotting 

I have been playing around with one of my favorite sandwich bread recipes.  This original recipe comes from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice but I have tweaked it a bit trying to make it my own.

I substituted part of the flour with flax seed meal, used coconut oil instead of shortening, and used kefir instead of water and powdered milk.  The loaf is soft and very flavorful.

The coconut oil makes it a bit sweeter so you could cut down on the sugar, but I like it.  I have made this with kefir and with water and I don't notice much of a difference, maybe the kefir (or milk) one is a bit more tender.

I have made this sourdough and with commercial yeast but usually I do a mix because I need to use my sourdough starter but I'm in a rush so I 'spike' it with commercial yeast (just add 1/2 tsp instant yeast).  When I have the time and do the sourdough version it adds a great sour flavor that mixes well with the sweetness.

I enjoy playing around with my bread recipes so I frequently am adding or subtracting things but I think I have this recipe just the way I like it.

Ingredients:

100 g sourdough barm (100%hydration--equal parts, by weight, flour and water)
230 g bread flour
140 g whole wheat flour
  28 g flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)
  19 g brown sugar
    9 g salt
  25 g coconut oil
229 g kefir or milk, at room temperature

Let the sourdough barm come up to room temperature then add everything to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Stir with the paddle attachment until mixture forms a ball and all of the flour is hydrated.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 6-10 minutes until dough is smooth and tacky but not sticky.  Dough should be soft and elastic.  Place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat the dough all over with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 4 hours or until doubled in size (about 2 if 'spiking').

Shape dough into a sandwich loaf and place in a greased 4x8 inch loaf pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and proof for about 2 hours or until dough is cresting over the lip of the pan (about 1 if 'spiking').  Brush top of loaf with egg, sprinkle on some flax seed meal (optional), and score down the center of the loaf (optional).

Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 50 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees half way through for even browning.  Remove bread from pan immediately and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy.

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Sourdough Pitas

A soft flat bread with a tang of sourdough.

Submitted to YeastSpotting.
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I love a good soft and fluffy pita.  They make great sandwiches and are wonderful for dipping.  Making pitas is pretty simple, but I haven't gotten the process perfected.  Maybe because I used sourdough, maybe because I added whole wheat flour (or both) these didn't puff all the way to make a pocket (I got some puff).  Even without the pocket these were delicious.

The recipe made 8 pitas, and it was getting late so I let half of the dough (rolled into 168g balls) rest overnight in the refrigerator.  These pitas had even more sour flavor and were delicious.  I made pita chips with the leftovers and that was fantastic too.  Even though I'm not an expert with pitas yet I plan to keep trying.  And even non perfect pitas taste great.

Ingredients:

200g barm (100% hydration),  active and at room temperature
481g bread flour
200g whole wheat flour
15g salt
87g honey
58g oil
305g water

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together barm, flour, salt, honey, oil, and water using the paddle attachment.  Stir until all flour is moistened and dough forms a ball.  It should take about 1 minute on low speed.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is slightly stiff, smooth and elastic.  Turn out into an oiled bowl, turning to coat all over, and cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise for 4 hours or until double in size.

Divide dough into 8-10 pieces and roll each piece into a ball.  Let dough balls rest for 10-15 minutes then roll out to 1/4 inch thick rounds.  (I rolled one at a time then baked it before rolling another, do what works for you)

Bake in a preheated oven at 500F directly on a baking stone (that has been preheated in the oven too).  Keep an eye on the pita and once it puffs count to 30(seconds) and remove pita to cooling rack and cover with a towel.  The whole baking process should not take more than 2-3 minutes.

Continue rolling and baking each dough ball.  You can refrigerate the dough balls, covered in plastic, for a day or two.  Allow dough to come to room temperature for about 1 hour before rolling and baking.

Makes 8-10 pitas.  Any leftover pitas can be cut and baked at a low temperature until dried out to make pita chips (toss with oil and spices to flavor but they also taste great plain).  Enjoy

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Ciabatta (Sourdough)

A crisp and chewy loaf of rustic bread made from a very wet dough.

*Submitted to YeastSpotting
accepted to YeastSpotting

Ciabatta; just writing about this delicious bread is making me drool.  This bread is made with a very wet dough and little kneading.  The gluten is developed by using a stretch and fold method.  You pour out the dough onto a square of flour (or oil). Then, you stretch the dough from each side until it is about double it's length then fold the dough like a letter over it's self returning it to it's original size.  This is messy but as long as you use plenty of flour and flour your hands the dough won't stick to anything (you just have flour everywhere).  All of the mess is well worth it because this is a great bread (the more you make this bread the better you will get and it won't be as messy).  The crust is very crisp straight out of the oven, but once it cools it softens and becomes chewy.

Here is a video of the stretch and fold method by Peter Reinhart:

(This is different from the method I use because it does not add flour.  My recipe comes from Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice.  One thing I love about Peter Reinhart is that he is always perfecting his recipes and methods to make better bread.  I will try this flourless stretch and fold next time)

Ingredients (measured by weight):

Modified slightly from Peter Reinhart's Ciabatta, Poolish Version (The Bread Baker's Apprentice pg136)

22.75 oz Sourdough barm 100% hydration (equal parts flour and water)
13.5 oz bread flour
.44 oz salt
3-6 oz kefir (or milk or buttermilk), at room temperature

The night before you plan to make this bread feed about 4 oz of sourdough starter equal parts flour and water to equal 22.75 oz of barm.  Leave at room temperature overnight until active and bubbly.

In the morning of the next day, add the barm, flour, salt, and kefir to the bowl of a stand mixer.   Stir, using the paddle attachment until all ingredients are combined and you have a very wet and sticky dough.  Continue mixing with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 5-7 minutes until The dough is smooth and sticky.  It should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom and be very soft and sticky.

Sprinkle flour onto the counter to create a large square.  Using a bowl scraper or spatula, scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the bed of flour.  Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and (with floured hands) stretch and fold the dough.  Spray the top with oil and sprinkle with flour then cover with plastic wrap.

Let rest for 30 minutes and stretch and fold again.  Spray with oil, sprinkle with flour and cover again.  This time allow the dough to ferment on the counter for 3-4 hours until it swells (it won't necessarily double in size)

Prepare a couche (a thick linen cloth sprayed with cooking oil and with flour rubbed in to keep the dough from sticking.  You can also use a large smooth white towel or table cloth).

Divide the dough into 3 or four pieces; sprinkle with flour and using a scrapper gently lift the dough from the counter.  Roll each piece in flour (try not to degas it) and transfer it to the couche.  Stretch and fold each piece to form an oblong about 4 or 5 inches long.  Bunch the cloth between each piece to make a wall.  Spray with oil, dust with flour then cover with a towel.

 Proof at room temperature for about 2 hours.

Place a baking stone on the lowest rack of the oven and a cast iron skillet on the top rack and preheat the oven to 500F for at least 45 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a peel or cookie sheet (I use parchment paper under the dough so that it slides easily onto the stone just make sure to pull the parchment out from under the bread after about 5 minutes so that it doesn't burn) and gently stretch the dough to make a longer loaf.  Slide the dough (I do one at a time because I have a small stone) onto the baking stone.  Pour about 1 cup of hot water into the cast iron pan to create steam and close the oven door.   After 30 seconds open the oven and spray the sides of the oven with water.  Do this twice more at 30 second intervals.  Then lower the oven temperature to 450F.

Bake the loaves for 15-20 minutes turning half way through for even baking.

Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing.  Enjoy.

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Whole Wheat Italian Bread (Sourdough)

A delicious and soft whole wheat sourdough loaf with a chewy crust.

*submitted to YeastSpotting

Now on YeastSpotting

My favorite bread to make is Italian bread.  It is one of the first breads I ever made back when I was a broke college student and just became interested in bread baking.  I still use the same bread book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice, which is the first bread cook/baking book I ever bought (also from my college days).  The poor book lost it's slip cover along time ago, is ripping at the seams, and has flour and oil stains on every page.  It has been well used.  I used the Italian Bread recipe (p. 172) with some slight modifications.  This bread uses a preferment (Biga) which I made with sourdough instead of commercial yeast and I used whole wheat flour instead of white flour.  I also used kefir instead of water in the Biga to help tenderize the bread further since I planned on using half for sandwich rolls.  This made a great soft whole wheat loaf with a slight tang of sourdough.  Here is my recipe (as usual all of my measurements are by weight).

Night before (Biga):


3 oz sourdough starter (100% hydration, equal parts flour and water)
11 oz whole wheat flour
6-7 oz kefir (or milk or water)

Final dough (next morning)

Biga (about 18 oz)
11.25 oz bread flour

.41 oz salt

.5 oz honey

.5 oz olive oil

7-8 oz water

The night before you plan to make the bread mix together all of the Biga ingredients.  Stir well until all of the flour is hydrated.  Cover and let sit out at room temperature over night (up to 12 hrs).

The next morning the Biga should be airy and bubbly.  Add all of the final dough ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Stir on low speed with the paddle attachment until all of the flour is hydrated and ingredients are thoroughly mixed creating a ball of dough (you may need to dribble in a little water until all of the flour is incorporated).

Switch to the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes.  The dough should be supple and elastic and tacky not sticky (you may need to add more flour while kneading to reach this consistency).

Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl rolling to coat it all over with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for 4 hours until doubled in size.

Remove the risen dough from the bowl.  Cut in half.  You can make two 1-pound loaves, or I sometimes make 3 smaller loaves so they fit more easily on my baking stone.  This time I made 4 torpedo rolls and 1 loaf.  Place loaves and/or rolls on parchment or lightly floured sheet pans.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 2 hours and is 1 1/2 times original size.

Preheat oven and baking stone, on the lowest rack, to 500F for at least 45 minutes (if you are using sheet pans you can bake the loaves and rolls directly on the pan, no need to use the baking stone in this case).  Transfer the loaves or rolls to a peel or rimless baking sheet.  Score loaves with diagonal slits and rolls with one long slit (lengthwise).  Slide loves/rolls onto the baking stone (if you have trouble transferring loaves/rolls into oven, like I do, you can slide them in directly on the parchment paper but you have to pull the parchment out from under the bread after about 5 minutes because it will start to blacken and burn at such a high temperature) and spray the sides of the oven with water a few times to create steam, close the oven and then spray again after 30 seconds.  Do this 3 times then lower the temperature to 450F.  Bake loaves for 20 minutes and rolls for 15 turning 180 degrees half way through for even baking if necessary.

Allow to cool for at least 1 hour before cutting.  Enjoy.

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Half Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread (Sourdough)

A delicious, soft, and sour sandwich loaf with the goodness of whole wheat.

*Submitted to YeastSpotting

I like to have sandwich bread on hand but I don't like to buy the usual kind you find in the stores.  Store bought sandwich bread is too soft and mushy and flavorless to my tastes.  It also has preservatives (which I have never used to make bread) and I think it's creepy to have bread for weeks before it starts to mold.  Mostly, I just enjoy making and baking my own bread.  There is something about the smell and taste of freshly baked bread that just makes me feel good and I like to think it is better for me than store bought.

My main struggle with sandwich bread is getting it so that it is soft (soft enough to make a good peanut butter and jelly with) and doesn't crumb too much.  What I have found (at least in my non-professional opinion) is that in order to achieve this  you need to keep the dough pretty soft and moist.  Do not add too much flour while kneading you want the dough to be soft and moist but not wet and sticky.  It is hard to explain because you know it is right by the feel.  I find that when kneading by hand I tend to add too much flour, to keep the dough from sticking to my hand, but since I started using a mixer it is easier to knead without adding too much flour.  It is still possible to do it by hand you just have to be aware of how much extra flour you are using (it is okay for it to stick slightly to your hand.  Maybe just dust your hands lightly with flour instead of sprinkling flour over the dough).

Ingredients:
*modified from Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads 'transitional whole wheat bread'

Night before (barm)

3 oz sourdough starter
7 oz whole wheat flour
6 oz kefir or milk

Next day

barm
7 oz bread flour
1 tsp salt (.45oz)
2 oz honey
.5 oz vegetable oil
3-5 oz water

The night before you want to make your bread you need to make the barm.  This is just feeding the sourdough to build it to the amount you need for the recipe.  Take out  3 oz of the sourdough starter add 7 oz of whole wheat flour and 6 oz of kefir or milk. (I make the barm with the whole wheat flour because I think that the over night sit tenderizes it and moistens it this makes up for the soaker that many whole wheat recipes call for.  I also use kefir because I like the extra sour flavor it adds.)  Stir until all of the flour is hydrated then cover and let sit out at room temperature over night.

The next morning, the barm should be bubbly and airy. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add barm and rest of ingredients starting with only 3 oz of the water.  Stir on low speed with the paddle attachment until all of the flour is hydrated and forms a ball.  You may need to dribble in some of the extra water until this is achieved (remember it is better to start too wet than not wet enough, adding flour during kneading is easier than water) .

Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 5-6 minutes adding more flour (white or wheat) as necessary.  The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but just slightly stick on the bottom.  It should feel soft and elastic and be tacky not sticky.  Transfer dough to a large, oiled bowl rolling to coat the dough with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and sit in  a warm place  to rise for 4 hours. (I sit my dough on my counter top under a small under-cabinet light that gets a little warm.  This is the  perfect temperature in my home.)

 When the dough has risen to double its size, roll into a sandwich loaf and place in a creased 8 by 4 inch loaf pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in warm spot for 2 hours until cresting above the lip of the pan.

Bake in 350F oven for 20 minutes, then turn 180 degrees and bake 20 minutes more.  If the top gets too dark cover with aluminum foil (I had to do this after the first 20 minutes).  Remove from pan and let cool completely (or at least 1 hour) before slicing.

Enjoy.

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Ricotta Bread (Sourdough)

A delicious sourdough made with fresh ricotta cheese.

*Submitted to YeastSpotting
Now on YeastSpotting 1.18.13 

I made some fresh ricotta cheese at home the other day.  It was my first time, and it was so easy.  Anyway, that is for another post but it gave me the idea of putting some ricotta in a bread recipe.  I used the same recipe (or formula) as Potato Garlic Bread, but replaced the potato with ricotta, and omitted the garlic while adding some honey.  The result was this beautifully browned loaf with a tight and soft crumb.  This makes it great for sandwiches.  The flavor is great,  sour with just a hint of cheese, it can be used for either sweet or savory purposes.  I'm already thinking about what else I can add when I make it again.

Ingredients:

14 oz barm
14 oz bread flour
.30 oz salt (1.5 tsp)
6.75 oz ricotta (a little over 1 cup)
1 oz honey
1 oz olive oil

The night before, prepare the barm.  I used 2 oz of my sourdough starter and built it to 14 oz by adding 6 oz flour and 6 oz water (I keep my sourdough starter at 100% hydration, that means equal parts flour and water for this recipe I used whey that was leftover from making the cheese).  Stir until all of the flour is hydrated and leave, covered, overnight.  After 10-12 hours the barm should be very bubbly.

The next day add the barm, flour, salt, ricotta, honey, and olive oil to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Using the paddle attachment (or a spoon if by hand) stir until all the flour is hydrated and ingredients form a ball, you may need to dribble in some more water to hydrate all of the flour.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 6-8 minutes on medium low speed (or 10-15 by hand) until dough becomes smooth and elastic.  It should be soft and tacky but not sticky (add more flour as necessary to reach this consistency).  Place dough in oiled bowl, rolling it to coat all sides with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 4 hours until doubled in size.

Once risen, cut dough in half and form two boules (round loaves).  Place on a parchment covered baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise for 2 more hours, them bake at 400F for 20 minutes, turn 180 degrees and continue baking for 15-20 minutes more until browned all over. Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting and serving.

I did not want 2 loaves so I made 4 pitas with half of the dough.  After the first rise, instead of forming the second boule, I cut the dough into 4 pieces of about 4 oz each.  Then I rolled them out and baked them (at 500F) until they puffed.

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Potato Garlic Bread (Sour Dough)

A tender and chewy loaf made with leftover mashed potatoes and roasted garlic.

*submitted to YeastSpotting
now on YeastSpotting 

Christmas dinner was great.  We had Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and maple glazed carrots.  While the potatoes were great, they just weren't as good once the meatballs were gone.  So my goal was to use the left over mashed potatoes and that's where this recipe comes in.

The basic recipe comes from Peter Reinhart's:  The Bread Baker's Apprentice, Rosemary Potato Bread.  I have made it a few times and it's delicious so I was excited to try it again with my own twist.  This time I added a bunch of roasted garlic and used sourdough instead of commercial yeast.  I think it turned out fabulous.  The bread is tender with a chewiness that I love and a wonderful garlic flavor that is, surprisingly, mild.  This bread is great on its own, spread with butter or cheese, and makes great sandwiches.  Here is my recipe.

Ingredients:
* as with most of my breads I use weight measurements for most of my ingredients

14 oz barm (50%flour 50%water)
14 oz bread flour
.38 oz (1.5 tsp) salt
1/4 tsp coarse cracked black pepper
6 oz (1 cup) left over mashed potatoes
.5 oz (1 Tbsp) olive oil
1/4 tsp crushed dried rosemary
1 oz water
20-30 cloves roasted garlic (about 2 bulbs)

*if you do not want to spend the time on sourdough, omit the barm but add an extra 7 oz flour and 7 oz water as well as about 1-2 tsp instant yeast.  Then the first rise will only be 2 hours and the final only 90 minutes..

The night before feed the sourdough starter (that is kept in the refrigerator).  Take out 4 oz and add 5 oz water and 5 oz flour to make 14 oz barm.  Stir these together until all of the flour is hydrated and then cover and let sit overnight (about 10 hrs).  It should be very bubbly.

In the morning  mix the barm with the flour, salt, pepper, mashed potatoes, oil, rosemary, and water.  Stir (in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) until all of the flour is hydrated and the ingredients come together in a ball (about 1 minute).  Then knead the dough for about 6 minutes (10 if by hand) until it is smooth, elastic, and tacky but not sticky.  Add the garlic during the final 2 minutes of kneading.  Finally, place the dough into an oiled bowl, roll to coat it with oil and cover with plastic wrap.  Let the dough sit at room temperature for 4 hours (while I went to the gym and had lunch).

After 4 hours the dough should be doubled in size, cresting above the bowl (if not, your room maybe too cool so let it sit longer or put it in a warmer place).

Separate the dough in half and shape each half into rounds.  Let these sit on parchment paper covered with plastic wrap for about 2 hours until the are almost doubled in size.  Then gently slide the dough (parchment and all) onto a baking sheet (score if you want to but it is optional) and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for 20 minutes longer until browned all over.  I baked my loaves separately because I didn't have enough room to put both on my baking sheet, if your pan is bigger you can bake them together.  I also had to cover the dough with aluminum foil after the first 20 minutes to keep the top from getting too dark (this depends on each individual oven).

Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting and serving.  This bread will make your whole house smell so good (like fresh bread and roasted garlic).  Enjoy.

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Joybee Baking Journal: Pull Apart Pumpkin Bread

A delicious, sweet, and easy to pull apart yeast bread flavored with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices. Modified from A Dash of Cinnamon.

 

When I came across this new recipe for my seasonal favorite, pumpkin bread, I had to try it. This relatively simple, but messy and time consuming, recipe takes a basic cinnamon bun dough, adds pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices. Then, strips of the sugar spiced dough are stacked into a loaf pan and baked. The resulting bread is everything great about cinnamon buns but with pumpkin flavor, in loaf form, and it's easy to tear off a piece.

I keep an active sourdough starter, that I've kept alive for 2 years, in my fridge and use it for just about all of my breads. I think it adds so much more flavor and just a hint of sourness to any recipe, regular breads just taste bland to me now...I guess I've spoiled myself. Even though I use sourdough, sometimes I spike the dough with a small amount of instant yeast. This allows the bread to rise in a much shorter time yet I still get the flavor from the sourdough (just not as much). For this recipe I was too excited about it to wait so I  spiked the dough. You could easily make this without sourdough, or make it totally sourdough. Here is what I did:

Ingredients:

Makes 1 loaf

12 oz sourdough starter--2oz sourdough barm+ 5oz flour+ 5oz kefir
3.25 oz sugar (6 1/2 Tbsp)
.25 oz salt (1 tsp)
1 oz butter (2 Tbsp)
5 oz canned pumpkin (about 1/2 cup)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 oz bread flour or all purpose flour (2 cups) *16oz (3 1/2 cups) if not using sourdough
1/2 tsp instant yeast *2 tsp if not using sourdough
2 oz kefir or buttermilk (1/4 cup) *9-10 oz (1 1/8-1 1/4 cups) if not using sourdough

Sugar mixture:

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
or 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spicemix

For the sourdough version, I fed my barm the night before.  That means I took my sourdough starter/barm out of the refrigerator and 'feed' it.  I usually 'feed' it, with equal parts flour and water, at least once a week, but I keep a small amount on hand (about 10-12 oz) so when I will be using a big batch  of it I take out about 2 oz and 'feed' that.  Feeding means that I take any amount of my original barm and add equal parts flour and liquid to at least double (by weight) the amount of barm.  I always do this by weight because it is simpler, but you could measure however you prefer.  So I turn 2 oz of barm into 12 oz by adding 5 oz each of flour and liquid and let it sit, covered, overnight.

The liquid I used was kefir, a cultured milk product, but you can use buttermilk or just milk.  I use kefir because I have my own culture going and I always have some on hand.  It gives a similar flavor as buttermilk, and I don't have to go out and buy it.  As long as I have milk I can keep making kefir.  For more on kefir click here.

Now that we have 12 oz of sourdough, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer, or just a large bowl if mixing by hand.  Add sugar, salt, butter, pumpkin, egg, vanilla extract, flour and yeast.  Mix on slow speed with paddle attachment, or by hand, until all ingredients come together and form a sticky ball, add the rest of the kefir/milk as needed to reach this consistency.  Switch to dough hook and knead for about 10 minutes (it may take longer by hand), adding flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and tacky.  It should pull away from the sides of the bowl but stick slightly to the bottom.

Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and roll around to coat all sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for 2 hours.  If making with only sourdough it will take at least 4 hours

Once dough has risen to at least double it's size, roll out into a rectangular sheet about 14x12 inches and about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Slather on some butter, enough to cover entire sheet. Then sprinkle on the sugar mixture.  At this point you could roll the dough up, cut into 1-2 inch sections and you have pumpkin spice cinnamon buns, but that's not what we are making.



Cut the sheet of dough into 6 strips.  Stack the sugared strips on top of each other, then cut the stack of strips into about 6 sections.  Then stack the sections into a greased 9-5 inch loaf pan.  Sprinkle any remaining sugar on top then cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour (about 2hrs if only sourdough) or until dough fills pan and crests a little above the rim.

Bake the bread in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 30-35 minutes (turning 180 degrees half way through for even baking).  Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then slide out onto a plate or platter.  Wait 20 minutes, for loaves to set, before serving (if you can).  Enjoy.

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