About This Recipe

Pumpkin bread is the loaf format of pumpkin spice baking, and like its muffin counterpart it has become one of the defining flavours of the autumn season in modern baking culture. The tinned pumpkin puree provides extraordinary moisture and a natural sweetness that keeps the loaf soft for days without any special handling. The warm spice combination provides the character that makes this bread immediately identifiable and appealing.

The crackled top that develops during baking is one of the most attractive features of a well-made pumpkin bread. As the loaf bakes, the exterior sets slightly ahead of the still-rising interior, and the continued expansion creates a split along the top that caramelises to a deeper amber than the surrounding surface. This crack is both expected and desirable.

Oil-based rather than butter-based is the standard approach for pumpkin bread, and for good reason. Oil produces a moister, more tender crumb that stays soft for longer than a butter-based equivalent. Neutral oil allows the pumpkin and spices to speak clearly without any competing dairy flavour.

History and Origins

Pumpkin has been used in North American cooking since Indigenous cultivation thousands of years before European arrival. The specific pumpkin spice loaf became popular in American home baking in the mid-20th century alongside the broader pumpkin baking tradition. Like banana bread, it benefits from a long tin baking time that develops the caramelised top and the moist, dense interior.

Pumpkin Bread

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: Bread

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

2600

kcal

Ingredients

• •t425g tin pure pumpkin puree

• •t200g white sugar

• •t100g brown sugar

• •t120ml neutral oil

• •t3 large eggs

• •t1 tsp vanilla extract

• •t300g plain flour

• •t1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• •t2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• •t1 tsp cinnamon

• •t0.5 tsp salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 175C. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin.
• Whisk pumpkin, both sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla together.
• Add flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt. Fold until just combined.
• Pour into prepared tin.
• Bake for 55 to 65 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Cool in tin for 15 minutes then turn out onto a rack.

Notes

• Use pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling already contains sugar and spices and will make the loaf unpleasantly sweet and overspiced if used in this recipe.
  The loaf will crack along the top during baking. This is correct, expected, and desirable. It indicates the loaf rose properly and the interior expanded naturally.
  A skewer inserted in the centre is the most reliable test for doneness. Moist crumbs on the skewer are acceptable. Wet batter on the skewer means more time is needed.
  This loaf is better on day two without question. Wrap it tightly as soon as it has cooled and leave it overnight. The spices meld together and the flavour becomes significantly more complex and rounded.
  If the top is browning too quickly cover loosely with foil for the final 15 minutes of baking.
  The high moisture content of the pumpkin means this loaf takes longer than most quick breads to bake through. Do not be tempted to remove it early even when the top looks done.
  Slicing the loaf while still warm is tempting but counterproductive. The structure needs time to set and warm slices collapse and compress rather than holding a clean edge

Make Ahead Tips

Bake up to 3 days ahead. Wrap tightly and keep at room temperature. The flavour and texture both improve over the first 48 hours.

Storage and Serving

Wrap tightly in cling film or foil. Keeps at room temperature for up to 5 days due to the pumpkin moisture content. Freeze for up to 3 months. Slice before freezing for easier individual portions.

Variations and Substitutions

Add 100g of dark chocolate chips for a chocolate chip pumpkin bread that is one of the most popular autumn quick bread variations. Add 80g of toasted pecans or walnuts for crunch and a nutty complement to the warm spices. Swirl a cream cheese mixture through the batter before baking for a marble effect: beat 115g cream cheese with 50g sugar and 1 egg and drop spoonfuls through the batter. Make a pumpkin bread with a brown butter glaze by drizzling warm brown butter mixed with icing sugar over the still-warm loaf. Add a tablespoon of molasses alongside the oil for a deeper, more complex sweetness. Replace the plain pumpkin pie spice with freshly ground individual spices for a more vibrant, aromatic result. Make individual pumpkin bread muffins at 190C for 20 to 22 minutes for faster, portable autumn treats.