PUMPKIN BREAD - SAKARYA

First, prepare 300 g of pumpkin puree. After cleaning the skin and green parts of the pumpkin, cut it into cubes and place it in a pot. Add 1 tea glass of water and mix. Then close the lid and boil. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat. Depending on the type of squash, it will soften in 15-20 minutes. Check the process to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom and add some water if necessary.

After the zucchini is boiled and soft, puree it with a hand blender and make sure that there are no large pieces left. You can also pass it through a mesh strainer to be sure. Leave it to cool.

You will need a packet of active yeast, 1 tea glass of warm milk and 2 tablespoons of honey. Take warm milk over the yeast. The temperature of the milk should not exceed 45⁰C. In other words, keep it at a level that will not burn your fingers. Add honey on it. Mix with a wooden spoon. Let the yeast mix well with the honey. Wait until bubbles appear on it.

Meanwhile, start preparing the dry ingredients. An average of 4 cups of flour, that is, an average of 450 g of flour, will be sufficient. Take the flour in a bowl. Sift the flour beforehand while making pastry. Add 1.5 teaspoons of salt, ¼ teaspoon allspice and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Since allspice and cinnamon are dominant spices, do not overdo it. Add ¼ teaspoon of grated nutmeg. Do not buy powdered nutmeg, be sure to grate it yourself. Mix it all with a wire whisk. Let all the flavors be evenly distributed in the flour.

After the yeast has risen, add it to the dry ingredients. Add 1 tea glass of oil to the dough, this will give the bread a soft consistency. Now it's time for pumpkin puree. Make sure it cools down thoroughly before use. Mix it all with a wooden spoon. Combine all ingredients.

When the dough becomes heavy, gather it with your hands and sprinkle some flour on the counter. Put the dough on the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes to allow the dough to absorb the liquid. It's moist but won't stick to your hands. Flatten the dough slightly. Fold the edges in and combine. Leave the folded part at the bottom. Roll it into a ball shape. Oil the inside of the bowl. Put the dough in the bowl and cover it with stretch film. Leave it to ferment for an hour in a warm, dark corner of the kitchen.

Now uncover it and place the dough on the counter.

Press on it and remove any accumulated air. Knead a little more by pressing with the palm of your hand. Use a loaf cake mold if you have one. Oil the inside of the mold thoroughly. Fold both ends inward. Combine the folded parts. Fold the other two ends and join them. Put it in the mold so that the folded part remains at the bottom. Flatten it by pressing on it. Cover it airtight with stretch film. But leave some space so that it can rise and swell easily. This time, let it sit for 30-35 minutes.

If you want to decorate with pumpkin seeds, brush them with egg white before decorating. So that the beans do not fall out.

Preheat your oven at 190⁰C. After 10 minutes of putting the bread in the oven, reduce the temperature to 170⁰C - 180⁰C. The baking time of bread in the oven is between 40-50 minutes.