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.