Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice English Muffin Bread with Sweet Cinnamon Butter

With the arrival of fall, our family has already enjoyed quite a few apple and pumpkin treats (though I confess that I made these fabulous Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins before fall officially arrived....they didn't last nearly long enough for me to get a photo, or I would have put them on the blog!).

After a few recipes, I had just a touch of pumpkin puree left, and pumpkin lover that I am, I couldn't bear to just discard the rest.  Then I remembered this bread, and it was the perfect resolution.  It used up the last of the pumpkin and made for a great breakfast as well.  The pumpkin keeps the bread moist, and the spices are very subtle.  You get just a hint of spice when you eat the bread, but it's enough to make your house smell good while it bakes!  The other great thing about this bread is that it's a yeast bread with no kneading or sticky fingers involved.  You simply mix it in your stand mixer and pour it in the loaf pan!

The bread is really best toasted and covered in butter, so it soaks into all the english muffin-like nooks and crannies.  Any butter will do, but the cinnamon butter really compliments the spices in the bread.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice English Muffin Bread with Sweet Cinnamon Butter
yields: 2 loaves

2 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups all purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (2 packets)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup pureed pumpkin
2 cups warm milk, 120-130 degrees
1/2 cup warm water, 120-130 degrees
cornmeal for dusting loaf pans

for the butter:
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste, OR 1/4 cup honey
dash of salt
 
Grease or spray two loaf pans with non-stick spray and sprinkle with cornmeal, shuffling the pan around so the cornmeal coats all the sides.  Dump the excess.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (fitted with the beater attachment), combine whole wheat flour, yeast, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda.  Add in milk, pumpkin, honey, olive oil, and water, beating on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.  Scrape down sides.  Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes, scraping down the sides if necessary.  Decrease speed to low and add in remaining flour and salt, mixing until just combined.  Do not overmix, do not knead.  The dough will be sticky.  Divide batter equally between two loaf pans and sprinkle the top with cornmeal.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.

About 30 minutes into the dough rise, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Bake loaves for 35 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.  Remove from the oven and immediately remove from the pans.  Let cool on a wire rack.  If you do not remove bread immediately, bread will become soggy as the steam becomes trapped between the bread and the pan.

for the butter:
Combine all ingredients until smooth and well blended.  Store covered at room temperature for a day or two or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.


sources: bread: How Sweet Eats; butter: adapted slightly from Renee's Recipe Collection