I have been seeing braided breads all over Instagram lately, so I felt inspired to make my own. Only, I wanted to make a fall harvest bread that could serve as a centerpiece for a thanksgiving dinner table. I decided to use my pumpkin pull apart bread roll recipe, but create it into a centerpiece that looks like a pumpkin. This bread uses real pumpkin to enhance a dinner roll bread that can be pulled apart and served right at the table.
The bread has a single braid on the bottom to hold all of the strands together at the pumpkin base.
The girls and I had so much fun with making this pumpkin shaped bread that we made a 3D pumpkin bread as well from the rest of the dough!
Dough
The base for this pumpkin pull apart braided bread is my buttermilk dinner roll recipe that I adapted to include pumpkin purée.
For this recipe you should use your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
The first step to these pumpkin pull apart braided bread is to proof your yeast in a bowl. Make sure that your water is warm, so use a Thermometer. Most bread fails come from either killing the yeast or not activating it at all. Note that the lower yeast and addition of pumpkin changes the rise. This won’t puff up as much as say, . This is so the bread can be shaped and hold the shape well once baked. This will give you a fresh pretzel like texture that is chewy and soft on the inside with a firm crust on the outside.
Mix your wet ingredients (pumpkin, buttermilk, melted butter) in the stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture.
The next step to the pumpkin pull apart braided bread is to add your Bread Flour and other dry ingredients and incorporate it to a shaggy dough with a wooden spoon.
Then attach the dough hook and let it mix on setting 8 for 10 minutes until an elastic dough has formed.
Butter up a bowl and a put the dough to rise, covered with a kitchen towel, in a draft free area for 90 minutes.
Making the pumpkin shape.
After your dough has risen for 90 minutes, pinch down the dough and gather it.
1. Divide the dough into 4 pieces.
2. Divide each piece into 4, so you have 16 pieces of dough.
3. Note that you can make 1 large pumpkin or 2 small ones.
4. Roll each dough in varying lengths, but reserve 3 strands of the same length (about 18 inches) for the braid.
5. I built the pumpkin on my baking sheet so I didn’t have to movie it. Then just begin molding the strands beside each other to form a pumpkin shape, with one strand going from the middle to be the stem.
- Put on strand on the left and shape to a C, then build onto it side by side from there. They will get shorter towards the middle.
- The middle will be a strand that goes above for the stem.
- Then go short to long with remaining strands, ending with a strand that’s a reverse C.
6. Braid the 3 remaining strands and use the at the base of the pumpkin to hold the strands together.
7. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.
Bake!
8. Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 25 minutes (for smaller pumpkin like show here). If you make one large pumpkin, increase the baking time by 10 minutes.
9. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing to a serving board or platter.
10. Then just pull pieces right off to eat with butter.
Pumpkin Pull Apart Braided Bread
Pumpkin Pull Apart Braided Bread are pumpkin enhanced dinner rolls that are twisted and braided into the shape of a pumpkin! These are easy and tasty and the perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table.
Ingredients
- 1.5 tsp yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water 110 degrees
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 - 2 1/4 cup bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon maldon sea salt flakes for garnish
Egg wash
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
-
Proof Yeast by sprinkling yeast onto the warm water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it activates.
Mix your wet ingredients (pumpkin, buttermilk, melted butter) in the stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture.
Add your dry ingredients and incorporate it to a shaggy dough with a wooden spoon.
Then attach the dough hook and let it mix on setting 8 for 10 minutes until an elastic dough has formed.
Butter up a bowl and a put the dough to rise, covered with a kitchen towel, in a draft free area for 90 minutes.
Making the pumpkin shape.
After your dough has risen for 90 minutes, pinch down the dough and gather it.
1. Divide the dough into 4 pieces.
2. Divide each piece into 3, so you have 1 pieces of dough. You will use 1 long piece in the middle for the middle part of pumpkin and the stem that reaches up. strands will go on each side of the pumpkin stem. Then 3 pieces get braided together for the bottom base of the pumpkin.
3. Note that you can make 1 large pumpkin or 2 small ones, just make your dough pieces smaller if you want 2.
4. Roll each dough in varying lengths, but reserve 3 strands of the same length (about 18 inches) for the braid.
5. I built the pumpkin on my baking sheet so I didn't have to movie it. Then just begin molding the strands beside each other to form a pumpkin shape, with one strand going from the middle to be the stem.
Put on strand on the left and shape to a C, then build onto it side by side from there. They will get shorter towards the middle.
The middle will be a strand that goes above for the stem.
Then go short to long with remaining strands, ending with a strand that's a reverse C.
6. Braid the 3 remaining strands and use the at the base of the pumpkin to hold the strands together.
7. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with Maldon sea salt flakes.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 20 minutes.
9. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing to a serving board or platter.
10. Then just pull pieces right off to eat with butter.
If you would like me to do a video on this recipe to demonstrate the assemly, just let me know!
Tools For The Pumpkin Pull Apart Braided Bread
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