Oatmeal Pumpkin Seed Bread

I made some pumpkin puree last week as I have a couple of recipes which I wanted to make. This lovely bread is one of them. Simple, easy, no kneading, recipe from Artisan Bread In 5 Minutes A Day. My first recipe from this book, and I'm already looking forward to try other recipes!

• Mix the yeast, salt, water, melted butter and honey in a lidded (not airtight) container. In another large bowl, mix the oatmeal, flour, vital wheat gluten till combine and pour into the yeast mixture. Add in the pumpkin puree and mix until thoroughly combined. I use a wooden spoon.
• Cover (not airtight) and leave to rise until dough doubles and collapse, about 2 hours. 
• Almost 2 hours later, the dough has tripled in size, did not show any signs of collapsing as yet. I placed the container in the refrigerator, allowing it to slowly collapse in the fridge.

• 2 days later, on baking day, the dough has gone down, but still doubled in size. Remove dough, follow instructions below on how to knead in the pumpkin seeds and the dried cranberries. Place in a greased loaf pan 9"x 5", cover with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven with a broiler tray at the bottom rack. Brush the risen dough with egg wash, place in the preheated oven, quickly pour about 1-2 cups of hot boiling water on the broiler tray and close oven door immediately. Bake the loaf for 45 to 50 minutes until deeply browned and firm.

Note : I have used bread flour to replace the all-purpose flour, and have also added in about 1 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten.

Nice and golden, freshly baked!

This bread has a soft crust, very nice!

The texture is moist and soft, very tasty! Of course, the pumpkin seeds adds a lovely crunch and the dried cranberries, as what the authors says, adds both a sweet element and a tartness that is wonderful with the other flavours.

Very good spread with my homemade plum jam. 

I'm sharing this with :
BYOB, Bake Your Own Bread hosted by Girlichef
Twelve Loaves hosted by Cake Duchess, theme for this month is Nuts, Seeds and Grains
Recipe Box hosted by Bizzy Bakes
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage


Oatmeal Pumpkin Seed Bread
(adapted from "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois)
Makes three 1-1/2 pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved
1 cup fresh or canned "pie" pumpkin puree
2 cups lukewarm water
1-1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 tablespoon Kosher salt (I use 1/3 tablespoons sea salt for half a recipe)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rye flour
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I use 2 cups bread flour for half a recipe)
neutral-tasting oil for greasing the pan
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (my addition)

Ingredients needed on baking day :
1-1/2 pounds oatmeal pumpkin dough (from above)
1/4 cup hulled, toasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
egg wash (one egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water)

1. Mixing and storing the dough : Mix the yeast and salt with the water, melted butter, and honey in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
2. Mix in the oatmeal, pumpkin, and flours (and vital wheat gluten, if using) without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with dough hook). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 9 days.
5. On baking day : lightly grease a 9x4x3-inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-1/2 pound (grape-fruit size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
6. Flatten the dough with your hands and roll out into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. As you roll out the dough, use enough flour to prevent it from sticking to the work surface but not so much as to make the dough dry.
7. Sprinkle the seeds and cranberries over the dough and roll the dough up to encase them. Fold the dough over again to work the seeds into the dough.
8. Using a small amount of flour, form the dough into a loaf shape. Place the loaf in the prepared pan and allow to rest and rise 2 hours (or just 40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).
9. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350F, and place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread. The baking stone is not essential for loaf pan breads; if you omit it the preheat may be as short as 5 minutes.
10. Just before putting the bread in the oven, brush the loaf with egg wash and place it on a rack near the center of the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Bake the loaf for 45 to 50 minutes, until deeply browned and firm.
11. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.