It’s February, and we are nowhere near using up all of the pumpkins we have been storing since fall. We don’t waste around here, and my absolute favorite way to use pumpkins is – you guessed it – by making pumpkin bread.
Not only is pumpkin bread ridiculously easy to make, but so is making your own puree. This recipe will show you how to use storage pumpkins to make an easy, homemade pumpkin bread that your family will love!
Making pumpkin puree
There are many different kinds of pumpkins you can use to make puree including sugar pumpkins, cheese pumpkins, and pie pumpkins. The most important thing is to choose a pumpkin that’s solid with no blemishes or soft spots in the skin.
Once you have chosen your pumpkin you need to prepare it for roasting. My pumpkin of choice is Long Island Cheese Pumpkins. They store well and easily in our storm shelter in addition to fitting perfectly in my dutch oven.
To roast, you need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the pumpkin either on a rack or in your dutch oven. I like to cover mine with the lid on for half of the baking time, and take the lid off on the last half of baking.
Bake for 1 – 1 1/2 hours until the flesh is tender when tested with a fork. Allow the pumpkin to cool completely before removing the skin with your hands or a sharp knife. Roasting makes the skin easy to cut into as well as making it easy to remove the seeds/guts.
Puree the pulp in a food processor or blender until you have a thick puree. This can be stored in your refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for later use.
Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups of brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda (sifted to eliminate lumps)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 tsp cinnamon
- 5 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 cup extra light olive oil (or vegetable or corn oil)
- 30 oz pumpkin puree.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter two 8 1/2″x4 1/2″ bread pans and lightly dust with flour. This will help ensure your bread doesn’t stick to the pan when it’s finished baking.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 4 cups all-purpose flour, 3 cups sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder and 4 tsp cinnamon until combined.
- Add wet ingredients; 5 room temperature eggs, 2 cup oil and 30 oz of pumpkin puree until thoroughly blended.
- Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients then stir together until smooth – don’t overmix it!
- Divide batter evenly between 2 prepared bread pans then bake for 50-55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean from center of loaf – check after 40 minutes as oven temperatures may vary slightly! Allow loaves to cool completely before slicing into them.
Easy, pumpkin bread recipe
Now that you know how easy it is to make your own homemade pumpkin bread from scratch—you can put that canned stuff away for good! Baking pumpkin bread brings so much warmth and comfort. Whether it’s enjoyed with coffee in the morning or served as an afternoon snack with friends—this recipe will surely become one of your favorite ways to savor autumn’s bounty each year. Happy baking!
