On my " I really want to try this" list last year was Cranberry Pumpkin Seed Bread. But then I put it out of my mind and didn't think about it anymore and not even Thanksgiving or Christmas had me thinking to give this bread a try. Now for some reason this time of year has me hankering for homemade bread and my mind wandered back to wanting to try this bread.
This Pinterest find was a little hard to come by and what I did find wasn't really what I wanted. I wanted a nice simple whip up any time bread, not a sweet dessert loaf. I wanted to be able to take my smoked turkey, lettuce, tomato and maybe my basil mayo ( I go either way with mayo, sometimes yes sometimes no..) on this fun bread.
Not finding what I wanted had me go to my tried and true Raisin Bread recipe. I just omitted the cinnamon which in case your wondering is 1 tsp. Because this bread is slightly sweeter then regular bread I thought it would compliment the saltiness of the smoked turkey better.
For one loaf here's the recipe.
1 cup + 1 tbsp warm water
2 1/2 cups white flour
2 tbsp dry milk
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 pkg yeast or
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup cranberries
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
I used a mixer to knead the bread but by all means use those muscles and knead the dough till it forms a nice bread ball and isn't sticky anymore. (I'm not much of a timer on this I go by my eye and when it looks good I stop.) This is when you add your berries and nuts. Continue kneading till everything is incorporated. Cover with towel and let rise in a warm place till doubled in size. (about an hour)
Then take it out, give it another light kneading and form your loaf. I chose a greased loaf pan but you could probably form a ball on a tray and have a more rustic loaf. Let rise till doubled again and bake.
Here's where I differ from some recipes. I prefer to bake mine at a lower temp, 370 to be exact only because I think the temperature in my oven is out of whack. You may want to consult other bread recipes and come up with a temperature you're happy with.
Normally I'm a whole wheat bread eater but for my first try it always seems easier to go all white. Thanks Gluten! Next I'll be trying out a whole wheat loaf and see how it goes but the boys gave this loaf 2 thumbs up.
If any one has another recipe for this bread I'd be interested in giving it a whirl! :)
Not finding what I wanted had me go to my tried and true Raisin Bread recipe. I just omitted the cinnamon which in case your wondering is 1 tsp. Because this bread is slightly sweeter then regular bread I thought it would compliment the saltiness of the smoked turkey better.
For one loaf here's the recipe.
1 cup + 1 tbsp warm water
2 1/2 cups white flour
2 tbsp dry milk
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 pkg yeast or
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup cranberries
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
I used a mixer to knead the bread but by all means use those muscles and knead the dough till it forms a nice bread ball and isn't sticky anymore. (I'm not much of a timer on this I go by my eye and when it looks good I stop.) This is when you add your berries and nuts. Continue kneading till everything is incorporated. Cover with towel and let rise in a warm place till doubled in size. (about an hour)
Then take it out, give it another light kneading and form your loaf. I chose a greased loaf pan but you could probably form a ball on a tray and have a more rustic loaf. Let rise till doubled again and bake.
Here's where I differ from some recipes. I prefer to bake mine at a lower temp, 370 to be exact only because I think the temperature in my oven is out of whack. You may want to consult other bread recipes and come up with a temperature you're happy with.
Normally I'm a whole wheat bread eater but for my first try it always seems easier to go all white. Thanks Gluten! Next I'll be trying out a whole wheat loaf and see how it goes but the boys gave this loaf 2 thumbs up.
If any one has another recipe for this bread I'd be interested in giving it a whirl! :)
I am loving these Pinterest finds.... and this time of year definitely is perfect for homemade bread - thanks for sharing - will have to give thisone a try!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Since the beginning of Pinterest I was always curious how well they'd work out for the average Joe. So far it's been an interesting journey and that includes anything I've tried before my " year of Pinterest " too. I'm hoping the next few projects I've picked out are a success because I really like them.
ReplyDeleteYum!!! That really looks fantastic! I don't have any other recipes for this bread at the moment, but will certainly let you know if I see any good ones. It's hard to beat the combination of tart, subtly sweet dried berries and crunchy, earthy pumpkin seeds (my tummy starts rumbling just thinking about it! :)).
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous weekend, dear Debra!
♥ Jessica