No-Knead Pumpkin Harvest Bread made with pumpkin pureé and filled with dried cranberries, golden raisins, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
No-knead bread is so wonderful because with very little effort anyone can become an artisan baker. This pumpkin-shaped bread with a cinnamon stick stem is loaded with dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. You’re going to want to make it over and over again. And you CAN because it’s so simple!
Making Pumpkin Bread Dough
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4- In a large bowl blend flour, salt, and yeast.
- Stir in dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
- Mix the water and pumpkin pureé together then pour over top of the flour/fruit/seed mixture.
- Using a dough whisk, or spoon, mix ingredients until the dough forms a soft dough. Mix until all of the flour is no longer visible. The dough will be a bit sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 12-18 hours.
Shaping the Dough into a Pumpkin
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4- Uncover the risen dough and carefully scrape out the dough onto a floured surface.
- Shape the dough into a smooth round ball. Well…not completely smooth there will be bumps and lumps from the fruit and seeds.
- Cut 6 18-inch long pieces of string. Lay them across each other on the floured surface. Tip the dough bottom side up on top of the string. Pull each string end up and tie in a knot in the center of the dough. Repeat will of 6 strings to form a wagon wheel looking pattern. Cut the ends of each string off.
- Turn the dough over so the knot of the string is on the bottom. Straighten the strings as needed to make the wheel uniform as possible. Place on a sheet of parchment and cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1-2 hours.
Baking the Pumpkin Bread
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4- Heat the oven to 450℉. Place a pot and its lid in the oven and preheat the pot for 30 minutes.
- Once the oven and pot have heated, remove the pot from the oven and carefully lift the sheet of parchment and place it in the heated pot. Cover with the heated lid. Bake covered for 35-37 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking until golden.
- Carefully lift the bread, using the sides of the parchment paper. out of the pot and place on a cooling rack. Cool for 5 minutes, then gently turn over the bread and cut the strings and pull them gently away from the dough. It’s ok if the dough has baked over the top of the string. Just gently pull and it will release.
- Using a small knife, cut a small little circle out of the center of the top of the bread and insert a piece of cinnamon stick. Let the bread cool completely before slicing. Tip: If you wait for the bread to cool the bread will not be doughy or rubbery. Resist temptation and wait!
For more tips for baking No-knead Bread check out my Crusty Bread recipe.
No-Knead Pumpkin Harvest Bread
No-Knead Pumpkin Harvest Bread made with pumpkin pureé and filled with dried cranberries, golden raisins, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
Ingredients
- 3 cups + 2 tablespoons bread flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon yeast
- 2/3 cup dried fruit mix cranberries, raisins, blueberries, cherries, etc
- 1/3 cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 cup of water
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2- inch cinnamon stick
Instructions
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In a 2-quart mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and yeast.
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Stir in dried fruit mix. Set aside.
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In a small mixing bowl add water, pumpkin puree, stir until smooth.
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Pour pumpkin mixture over flour mixture and stir just until all of the flour is absorbed. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 12-18 hours.
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Uncover the risen dough and carefully scrape out the dough onto a floured surface. Shape the dough into a smooth round ball. Well…not completely smooth there will be bumps and lumps from the fruit and seeds.
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Cut 6 18-inch long pieces of string. Lay them across each other on the floured surface. Tip the dough bottom side up and pull each string end up and tie in a knot in the center of the dough. Repeat will of 6 strings to form a wagon wheel looking pattern. Cut the ends of each string off. Turn the dough over so the knot of the string is on the bottom. Straighten the strings as needed to make the wheel uniform as possible. Place on a sheet of parchment and cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1-2 hours.
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Preheat to 450 ℉ with the pot and lid in the oven. Once the oven and pot have heated, remove the pot from the oven and carefully lift the sheet of parchment, and place it in the heated pot. Cover with the heated lid. Bake covered for 35-37 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking until golden. Carefully lift the bread, using the sides of the parchment paper. out of the pot and place on a cooling rack. Cool for 5 minutes, then gently turn over the bread and cut the strings, and pull them gently away from the dough. It’s ok if the dough has baked over the top of the string. Just gently pull and it will release. Using a small knife, cut a small little circle out of the center of the top of the bread and insert a piece of cinnamon stick. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- I used cotton bakers string.
- Feel free to add pumpkin spices.
- I used a Trader Joe's dried fruit blend of cranberries, blueberries, cherries, and golden raisins. So Good!!
- Make sure the pot AND lid used can withstand the hot temperatures. If your pot has instructions not to bake in an oven hotter than 425℉, then don't! Just bake at the temperature recommended for the pot and add extra time for baking.
- For many other tips for making no-knead bread check out my recipe for Crusty Bread.
Love this recipe, just wondering if I could make it in the bread machine?? any tips. thank you
I would like to make this sweet. Would adding 1/4 cup of honey be ok?
Yes, you can add honey. However, the dough will be prone to brown more. I would lower the oven temperature to 425℉. You may want to keep an eye on it to make sure the bread doesn’t burn.
I have been adding 1/4 cup of honey and it turns out nice. Last time i cooked for 30 min and then 7. I also added 1/4 teas more of Yeast.
The recipe looks attainable and yummy! I was wondering if you could share the type of yeast you used? Was it active yeast or another type? I am still new to baking so I know my question might be trivial.
Thanks in advance.
I use active dry yeast or instant SAF yeast. Whatever I have available. Both work great!
Sorry if I missed it, but what size dutch oven do you use? I have a 6qt and a 2 qt enamel pot. In the past i have used the 2qt for a plain no-knead bread recipe that calls for 4 cups of flour. I’m worried that this recipe yields more dough and won’t fi in the 2qt, but will spread too far in the 6Qt and result in a squat loaf. Knowing what size you used would be most helpful in the instructions. Thank you!
I think a 2-quart pot will be too small. I use a 4.5 – 5 quart dutch oven and the dough fits perfectly. You can always divide the dough in half and make 2 small loaves of bread.
Thank you!
This loaf is so cute! i maDe it today and am looking forward to trying it. One PROBLEM I had Was the cotton string left fibers stuck on the crust. should i have maybe run some oil on the string first?
Yes, putting oil on the string helps a lot. Thanks for the great suggestion.
So is the oven temerpature 425 degress, and the second bake time is 15 to 20 minutes. the only oven temperature that i see is in the notes section
I’m so sorry. I completely neglected to add the temperature. I’ll correct that right now. Thank you so much for bringing that to my attention.
What a gorgeous loaf! What size pot do you use? I don’t own one, so will need to see about purchasing, unless this can be made without one. Thank you.
I use a 5-quart pot. You can use anything that can withstand the high oven heat with a lid. I have heard from people that used a crockpot insert with the lid. You can use a heavy pot with foil crimped around the edges if you don’t have a lid. The lid is required because it creates a steam oven inside the pot and that is what will give the bread its crisp crust. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Baking!
I have a QUESTION. How long is the secong baKe? I see “until golden” but whAt is thAt? 20min? Anothe 35?
It will take approximately 15-20 minutes. I hope this helps. If you have an instant-read thermometer, you can check for an internal temperature of 190-200℉.
I’m definitely a novice artisan bread maker but for my first try I’m very excited and pleased with the results. It’s a little BRickish, lol but smells great and looks fantastic.
This was so easy to put together, even tying the string around the DOUGH was no problem.
I haven’t tasted it yet, it’s cooling, but look forward to adding it to our spooky Halloween Dinner table tonight!
Thank you!
Can this be made with gluten free flour?
Hi Janet,
I love all your recipes, but this one didn’t tUrn out too well for me. Perhaps it was just too many risings, strings, etc. the bread was good but very dense. I like the flavors, especially the fruit ( trader joes) blueberry, cranb blend. Can i incorporate the same reciPe but use your old recipe with the usual time ( 12-18 hour ) rise on the counter, then bake?
Thank you,
Susan
I made this today, and it is delicious. One disappointment, though: My Loaf was denser than yours. What’s the secret to getting That Wonderful open crumb?
Perhaps this will help: 1) Don’t overwork the dough when shaping. Just gently form into a round ball. 2) Once formed and shaped let the dough rise a little longer. I hoping this will help. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
This looks delicious! I have a question on the 1st rising of thw doigh, is it ar room temperature or in the fridge?
Room temperature. Refrigerating will slow down the rise. Because the dough has a small amount of yeast the long rise will allow the dough to get nice and bubbly.
Yes! I Realized that, it just seems like 12-18 hours At room temperature is a lot. Usually those long proofing times are done in the fridge. I will be making this recipe this week! Thank you!
I was wonderIng if you can use all Purpose flour instead Of bread flour. I use all purpose for the regular no knead bread recipe. I was wondering what the difference Would be. Thank you.
Yes, you can. I used bread flour to help ensure a crisp crust. Bread flour is a stronger flour. You probably won’t notice a difference at all.
Cutest idea! Worked perfectly!