No-Knead Pumpkin Harvest Bread
This showstopper No-Knead Pumpkin Harvest Bread is made with pumpkin pureé and filled with dried cranberries, golden raisins, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Make this surprisingly easy pumpkin shaped harvest bread recipe as a fall treat for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or any special occasion.
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.