Right around the time of my move, two of my favorite blogs, Veronica’s Test Kitchen and Dessert First both made brioche from Pure Dessert. They both did a wonderful job of replicating the beautiful, buttery brioche that I wanted to make it…and surprise, surprise…I just happen to own that cookbook. 😛 But along the way I ran into one of my many forgotten about cookbooks while I was unpacking. I ran across a recipe for pumpkin brioche and thought that sounded pretty darn perfect.
I must say that there is very little pumpkin flavor in the brioche, it simply makes it super moist. It is not made to be a sweet bread either, I made part of the recipe into rolls and ate them with chicken and couscous(which my husband amazingly enough liked the rolls…he hates pumpkin). I did on one of the loaves spread butter and sprinkle it with pumpkin pie spices…which helped to bring out more of the pumpkin flavor…or maybe it was all in my mind(most likely 🙂 ). I want to make these into some sort of cinnamon bun I think….who knows.
That is it. I am still pretty busy so no real long, drawn out blog updates….lucky you. 🙂
Pumpkin Brioche
For the Sponge:
¼ cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup bread flour
Combine the milk and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment ans whisk until the yeast is dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the pumpkin puree, sugar, and flour, forming a thick batter. Cover with plastic film and let rest in a warm environment until bubbles form, 30-40 minutes.
For the Dough:
5 cups bread flour
2 tsp salt
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ lb(2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1.Add the flour ans salt to the sponge, then add the eggs. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes, or until the eggs are absorbed. Increase speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough will begin to slap around. Hold on to the mixer when necessary.
2.2. On medium-low speed, add the butter, 2 TBSP at a time. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.(Recipe did not say to, but I switched to the dough hook at this point). Knead until the dough is shiny ans smooth, about 5 minutes. Scrape out the dough, wash and dry the bowl, and coat it lightly with oil.
3.Place dough in the oiled bowl and turn it so that the top is coated with oil. Cover with plastic film and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
4.After the dough has doubled in volume, press down to deflate, folding one half into the other. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This is the second rise.
5.Spray three 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans with pan spray. I used one large pan, two mini loafs and made 8 rolls.
6.Remove dough from fridge. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough evenly into thirds. With a rolling pin(that is floured), roll the dough into a rectangle equal to the length of the pan and double its width. Starting from the short side, roll up the dough like a jelly roll. If you would like you can add a filling. I added pumpkin pie spices with sugar in one of my loafs. Pinch the seam together. Place the dough seam side down in the prepared pan. Gently work the dough into the pan with your fingers so that it touches all sides. The dough should fill the pan halfway.
7.Cover the dough with plastic film coated with pan spray and let rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size and filled the pans completely, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
8.Toward the end of proofing preheat the oven to 400F. Adjust the rack to the center of the oven.
Egg Wash
1 large egg, plus large egg yolk
Whisk together the egg and yolk. Gently brush the surface of the dough with the egg wash.
Baking:
1.Bake for 10 minutes. Turn down the oven temperature to 350F and bake for 30 minutes more(the mini loaves only need 17 minutes more), with a golden crust and an internal temperature of 180F.
2.Remove the brioche from the pans as soon as they come out of the oven and cool it on a rack before serving.
3.If making rolls, roll them to golf ball size. Proof in paper lined muffin cups for easy baking. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.
4.
Adapted From: The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard
Tanna says
I think those could be labeled: Perfect Loaves.
Pumpkin. Why not some pumpkin filling with pie spices, something of a knock off of cinnamon.
Lydia says
The color of that brioche is gorgeous!
T.W. Barritt says
That looks incredibly yummy! It’s amazing that the pumpkin taste is not more prominent, since it’s usually so strong. I love brioche that melts in your mouth.
Sindy says
I have to agree with Tanna, I don’t think I have ever seen a more beautiful loaf of bread. I wish I were a baker …SIGH
Bea says
oh this is wonderful! I cannot wait to try this recipe. It looks so moist!
lynn says
Yum – this looks heavenly. And I have pumpkin in my fridge – lucky me! I think a pumpkin cinnamon swirl bread from this would be excellent.
VeggieGirl says
what a gorgeous Pumpkin Brioche – your cinnamon roll idea, which this recipe, sounds great!!
MrsPresley says
i agree, those loaves look perfect! mine always come out lopsided! this recipe looks great but i probably won’t ever get to try it (unless you want to mail me some 😉 b/c we never have whole milk in our house…
Deborah says
I tried a recipe for butternut squash bread and was surprised that it didn’t taste anything like the squash – I guess this would be kind of the same! I made my first brioche last weekend, and I can’t wait to make another!
Inne says
those look incredibly delicious, Peabody. All this Halloween, pumpkin, thanksgiving etc. stuff is completely alien to me, so I’m getting a lot of inspiration to try new things reading blogs this month!
Della says
On step 1 of mixing the dough where you add the flour and salt to the sponge, then adding the eggs, are you still mixing useing PADDLE attachment at this step?
Add the eggs all at once?
peabody says
Della- The recipe did not say to switch to the dough hook, but whenever I see the words knead, I automatically switch to it. So I would switch to it when you start to add the butter.
Also, yes, all the eggs at once.
Kayte says
this looks incredible. i bet it would be good made into french toast! i guess i’ll have to make it and find out 🙂
chris says
This looks most fabulous!!!! I wish I had smell-o-vision!
Dana says
Mmm, mmm, mmmmm!!!! I’m drooling. I assume you need a stand mixer to make these…?
lydia hamre says
Wow, looks wonderful…The loaves look so perfect!
lydia hamre says
Wow, looks wonderful…The loaves look like they fell from heaven like Manna.
Ally says
Perfect like always. You never cease to impress. Fabulous!
monica says
yum!! this would be great in pumpkin bread pudding!! thanks for the inspiration!
chris says
Evening! I tagged you. Click over to Mele Cotte for more details…
Have a good evening!
brittany says
I’m salivating. French toast anyone?
Mary says
As if I didn’t have enough to do this week, now I’ll be baking this this week. I love your site. Everything I’ve made off it has turned out so yummy!
Ashley says
Mmm the brioche + pumpkin combination sound so wonderful. Even if you can’t taste the pumpkin, I’d be happy just knowing it was in there!
Julie O'Hara says
As I was reading this, I was eating a bowl of pumpkin oatmeal, my latest oatmeal creation (I eat it every day, so I’m forced to get creative). The brioche looks beautiful and definitely moist. I agree with one of the comments above: French toast. This also makes me want to try some pumpkin scones.
Julie
Abby says
It’s beautiful! It looks so warm and fluffy, too. And I’d say you’ve found some great light for photographs!
Cheryl says
A pumpkin brioche, wow a wonderful recipe. Looks so good, warm and delicious.
kellypea says
Gorgeous loaves, Peabody. I still haven’t gotten around to the brioche I was going to make a couple of weeks ago…Diets and Bread don’t work well. But your description of that pie spice on that slice sounds heavenly!
Melinda says
I am going to make this right now. It’s kismet. I’ve had a tin of pumpkin sitting on my desk. I’ve been humming and hawing what to do with it. Lynn Craig (cookiebakerlynn) listed your blog in her recent post in making her daughter’s birthday cake. So I had a little peek at your blog. Such lovely things Peabody!
I made my first brioche during May. It was delicious but hilarious. On my blog listed under ‘Giant Brioche Explosion at Chez Melinda’
I will post about my results with this recipe.
My butter and milk are out of the fridge and reaching the proper temperature, so I am about to start.
Hope to visit you again.
veron says
I agree with everyone who says those are perfect, gorgeous loaves – and pumpkin brioche is indeed perfect for the season.
Kevin says
Pumpkin brioche sounds really good. I have been meaning to try making brioche for a while now.
Nabeela says
You still managed to make these gorgeous looking bread while unpacking??!! Heroic feat, I think 🙂
Melinda says
Peabody, these turned out absolutely fantastic. I will write them up for my blog so you can have a look.
Beauties they are! I’ve also just ordered Sherry Yards book. Thank you!
Johnny says
beautiful bread!
Annemarie says
Shame about the lack of pumpkin flavor in the recipe as it stands, but they’re a very pretty color just the same. Cinnamon and nutmeg sound like the way to go…
Lisa says
Gorgeous brioche, Gracie!! Even though they didn’t taste too pumpkiny, I love the idea of it.. hope you make the cinnamon rolls. 😀
xoxo
Valerie says
Oh boy!!!!! I LOVE pumpkin! I have to try this one. It looks so delicious!
Julie says
I love looking through your blog. It just makes me happy.
Mandy says
I love to use canned pumpkin! Thank you so much for sharing. As soon as Fall hits Texas I’m making this!