Pumpkin Pie… Brioche

For those of you who know me, this isn't going to come as a suprise; baking with pumpkin is like breathing to me -- something I can not live without. I bake with pumpkin all year round and I fancy myself a pumpkin afficiando. Most of my pumpkin baked goods are in the form of cakes, pastries and pies.  I've only recently started to branch out into breads, because when I think of bread making, it scares me. And if it scares you too, I highly recommend you get Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  I know, 5 minutes?

Seriously, it takes 5 minutes to prepare the dough.  Then you let it rise for 2 hours.  Then you just stick it in the fridge and depending on the dough, it can keep from 5 days to 2 weeks.  No kneading, no fawning over it.  It's so easy!

Now, on to the Brioche.  When I think about Brioche, I think butter!  And fattening!  And oh so delicious.  But I also think hard to make!  Harder to work with!  What a freaking pain in the ass.

However this version removes the pain and all the butter without scarifcing all the goodness.  The pumpkin, which is not only flavorful, but also filled with healthy vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, replaces the majority of the butter and creates this smooth and glorious texture that you won't miss the fattening version at all.

And did I mention this is EASY!  Oh you aren't going to believe it until you make it.

Now you can make this in a classic Brioche form, which is what I did or you can put it into a bread pan. Either will give you the same result.  Awesomeness!

Pumpkin Pie Brioche
adapted from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

makes two 2 pound loaves

• 4 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated yeast, or 2 packets
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
• 1 tsp cinnamon*
• 1/2 tsp ginger*
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg*
• 1/4 tsp all spice *
• 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3/4 cup neutral flavored oil or melted unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree or one 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
• egg wash
• raw sugar for sprinkling on top

Ingredient Notes: Instead of the individual spices, I used 3 1/2 teaspoons Pumpkin Spice - adjust according to taste. I prefer a strong spice flavor.  Also the original recipe calls for 3 cups white whole wheat and 4 12 cups of unbleached all purpose flour, but I love wheat so I boosted the white whole wheat up and reduced the unbleached white flour accordingly.

Mixing & Storing the Dough:

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a 5 quart bowl or lidded (not airtight) food container.
2. Combine the liquid ingredients with the pumpkin puree and mix them with the dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon, a 14 cup food processor (with dough attachment), or heavy duty stand mixer (with paddle). You might need to use wet hands to get the last bit of flour to incorporate if you are not using a machine.
3. The dough will be loose, but it will firm up when chilled. Don’t try to use it without chilling it for at least 2 hours. You may notice lumps in the dough, but they will disappear in your finished products.
4. Cover (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
5. Refrigerate the dough in a lidded (but not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Beyond that, the dough stores well in the freezer for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.  Freeze it in 2 pound portions. When using frozen dough, thaw it in the refrigerator for 24 hours before use, then allow usual rest/rise times.

On Baking Day:

1. Grease a brioche pan or an 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 inch nonstick loaf pan
2. Dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off a 2-pound piece of dough. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball (should take less than 10-15 seconds)
3. Place ball in the prepared pan and allow to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 1 hour 45 minutes
4. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350F with a rack placed in the center of the oven. If you are not using a stone in the oven, a 5 minute preheat is sufficient.
5. Just before baking,  use a pastry brush to paint the loaf’s top with egg wash, then sprinkle with raw sugar (totally optional)
6. Bake near the center of the oven for approximately 45 to 50 mintes. Brioche will not form a hard, crackling crust.  The loaf is done when it is medium brown and firm.  Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in resting and baking time
7. Remove the brioche from the pan and allow it to cool (upside down) on a rack before slicing or eating

Preparation Notes: Do not over blend the dough.  I find doing it by hand a lot better than using a machine because you won't be as inclined to over mix it.  You should only mix until the dough comes together and you don't see any dry flour. This is NO KNEAD dough, so the less you mix it up, the better.  This was hard for me to deal with in the beginning.

If you are using a nonstick pan, I would coat it with oil/butter/shortening. This type of dough, which is very wet, can become glue like and stick to even the best nonstick pans. If you do get a loaf that sticks, wait about 10 minutes after removing from the oven and it will usually steam free from the sides.  I've saved quite a few loaves by just being patient.

So after the bread is out of the pan, allow it to rest for about 5 minutes upside down.  This prevents the bottom from collapsing.  Then slice in and enjoy.  I added a dolop of low-fat cream cheese, but it's also great plain or with a little non-fat spray butter on top. Also a cup of coffee wouldn't hurt!