Pumpkin Pie Brioche

I am so excited about the first recipe I made from the new book by Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg called - Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day! I have loved everything I have tried from their first book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, which really changed the way I bake bread on a regular basis.

The first essential ingredients:


My pumpkin brioche as it goes into the oven...

...and isn't it a beauty when it comes out!

We savored a few slices with butter while it was warm but the next morning, it made the most delicious French toast I have ever tasted!

Pumpkin Pie Brioche French Bread

1 Serving

2 slices of Pumpkin Pie Brioche
1 whole egg
1 tablespoon of water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Butter for saute pan
Maple syrup

Preheat a heavy gauge frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter.

In a container large enough to hold brioche slices, whisk egg, water and cinnamon together until combined.

Dip slices of pumpkin brioche into the egg mixture and coat each side thoroughly.

When the saute pan is heated and butter is sizzling, add the egg-dipped brioche slices and fry until the bread is golden brown on each side.

Serve with butter and pure maple syrup.

Heaven!

Pumpkin Pie Brioche

Adapted from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Makes enough dough for at least two 2-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved. Use any leftover dough to make muffins, crescent rolls, or pinwheels.

3 cups white whole wheat flour
4 1/2 cups unbleached all- purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast, or 2 packets
1 tablespoon kosher salt (increase or decrease to taste)
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
4 large eggs
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup neutral-flavored oil, or unsalted butter, melted, or zero trans fat, zero hydrogenated oil margarine, melted
One large pie (or "sugar") pumpkin to yield 1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree, or use one 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water) for brushing on the top crust
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top

Preparations for Pumpkin Pie Brioche
If making your own fresh pumpkin puree:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Split the pumpkin in half, starting at the stem, and place it cut side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet or one lined with a silicone mat. Bake for about 45 minutes. The pumpkin should be very soft all the way through when poked with a knife. Cool slightly before scooping out the seeds.

Scoop out the roasted flesh of the pumpkin and puree it in the food processor. Set aside 1 3/4 cups for the dough and use any leftover in your favorite pumpkin pie recipe.

Mixing and storing the dough:

Whisk together the flours, yeast, salt, vital wheat gluten, and spices in a 5- quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

Combine the liquid ingredients with the pumpkin puree and mix them with the dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle). You might need to use wet hands to get the last bit of flour to incorporate if you're not using a machine.

The dough will be loose, but it will firm up when chilled. Don't try to use it without chilling for at least 2 hours. You may notice lumps in the dough, but they will disappear in your finished products.

Cover (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

Refrigerate the dough in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Beyond that, the dough stores well in the freezer for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. Freeze it in 2-pound portions. When using frozen dough, thaw it in the refrigerator for 24 hours before use, then allow the usual rest/rise times.

Baking Instructions for Pumpkin Pie Brioche

On baking day, grease a brioche pan or an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 2-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece of dough. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball. Place the ball in the prepared pan and allow to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 1 hour 45 minutes.

Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack placed in the center of the oven. If you're not using a stone in the oven, a 5-minute preheat is adequate.

Just before baking, use a pastry brush to paint the loaf's top with egg wash, and then sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake near the center of the oven for approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Brioche will not form a hard, crackling crust. The loaf is done when it is medium brown and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in resting and baking time.

Remove the brioche from the pan and allow it to cool on a rack before slicing or eating.

My notes on making the brioche...
~After reading some reviews of the recipe, I doubled all the spices! I'm so glad I did.
~I used canned pumpkin puree
~I used canola oil rather than melted butter

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I also thought I'd share my source for covered containers that I use to mix and store my dough and flours. I found them at my local hardware store in the paint department for approximately $3.00 each. The lids are sold separately for about $.25.