Pumpkin Bread Sort of Recipe
I'm the kind of cook that uses whatever I happen to have in the fridge. I made waffles this morning and didn't have any buttermilk, so I mixed a little yogurt with milk and voila, it worked just fine. I also use less sugar than most recipes call for, substitute plain yogurt for oil, sour cream and mayonaise, and sprinkle a good portion of flax seeds and oat bran into just about everything I make with flour. I'll leave that up to you!
To follow along with me here, it's best if you are a little flexible. If you've NEVER made bread before and could use more specifics, here are a few links to more formal recipes. https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/golden-pumpkin-walnut-loaf-10000001545812/ https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-pumpkin-bread-10000000223638/
Whatever recipe you use, do cook your own pumpkin if you can. You can either steam or bake fresh pumpkin - the Cinderella Pumpkins at SLO Natural Foods Co-op are really good!
Rinse off, cut in half, scrape out the seeds (i usually cook those, too), and either bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until tender, or put in a steamer on the cooktop for about 30 minutes (until tender). Once cooler, scrape the pumpkin from the skin. You can blend the pumpkin if you want a smoother texture, or use as is.
The basics:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
1. Mix together Moist Ingredients:
2 cups fresh pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 - 1 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup sugar (brown or light or both)
2. Mix together Dry Ingredients:
2 cups organic wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3. Mix the wet and dry, just enough to moisten everything.
4. Now here's the really good stuff, the EXTRAS
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 (or more!) cup shredded coconut
currants or raisins
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
chocolate chips
Mix in your extras! Taste your batter - make sure it's sweet enough - you can always add a little more sugar if you feel it needs it. The consistency should be moist, but not runny. You can add a little more flour to thicken, or more milk or yogurt if you need more moisture.
Generously oil (I like to use coconut oil) a cast iron skillet or glass pyrex plan. I sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of raw sugar and pumpkin seeds in the bottom of the pan to make a slightly carmel like crust. Tastes sweeter that way, even though you didn't use much sugar.
Pour in the mixture. Use an additional pan if it's more than 2 inches thick.
Bake about 40 minutes until done - firm to the touch. yum!