Pumpkin Pie Brioche just in time for Thanksgiving!
Pumpkins are associated with the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert, a decadent pie filled with spices and sweetness. The pumpkin adds a smooth and luxurious texture that amounts to pure comfort food. Pumpkin is not only wonderful for its flavors but is also chock full of healthy vitamins. This was the inspiration for making a pumpkin pie brioche to include in Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It can be baked as a loaf, in a brioche pan or even made into our Indian Spiced Doughnuts (page 287) or as the bottom crust for the Pear Tarte Tatin (page 290). It is fabulous as dessert or breakfast.
Pumpkin Pie Brioche:
3 cups white whole wheat, or traditional whole wheat
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten
**
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
4 large eggs
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup neutral flavored oil or unsalted butter, melted
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (freshly roasted or canned)
Egg wash for brushing on top
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top
These directions are abridged from the book, for more detailed instructions go to page 354 in The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day
. Note that there was an error in early versions of the book, which called for 2 cups of water– the correct amount was 1 1/4, as above.
Mixing and storing the dough: whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a 5-quart Food Storage Container, fitted with a non-airtight lid. Combine the liquid ingredients and add them to the dry with a wooden spoon. Mix thoroughly, until there are no more dry bits of flour. The dough will be quite loose when you are done.
Cover the container and allow the dough to rest on the counter for 2 hours. Once it has risen refrigerate for at least 2 hours before baking or it is too difficult to handle. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
On baking day: Grease a six-inch Brioche Mold. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1 1/2-pound (cantaloupe size) piece of dough. Dust with more flour and quickly shape into a ball.
Place the ball of dough into the prepared pan with the smooth side up. Allow the dough to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap for 1 hour 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 with the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
As you can see it didn’t rise that much during the rest. That is normal for our dough. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash using a pastry brush and sprinkle it with the raw sugar.
Bake for about 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes then turn it out and
form a thick ring with a clean kitchen towel…
and invert the brioche onto the towel so that the dome of the brioche is supported by the towel. This will prevent the top or bottom of the loaf from getting crushed as it cools. Let the dough come to room temperature before cutting and serving.
Enjoy!
There have been many questions about Vital Wheat Gluten (also known as Vital Wheat Gluten Flour) and where it can be found. There are several brands, including some in bulk, but the most readily available is Bob’s Red Mill.
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I am definitely going to make the wreath bread, in fact I hope to feature it on my blog soon as a great holiday bread recipe. I’m SO excited to try it. Great to meet you both in San Francisco!
I sadly don’t have the book yet but plan on picking it up very soon! I’ve loved the Artisan bread in 5 book and am looking forward to seeing the yumminess contained in your new book!
I am planning a wonderful pan of Cherry Tomato Baguettes for my lunches.
You have NO IDEA how happy I was to find vital wheat gluten at my grocery store the other day. It was, however, an eensy weensy box, so I’d love another bag! I can’t tell you which HBin5 bread I’m going to bake yet, because I think it’s going to be under the Christmas tree so I’m holding off on buying it!
Just read a great article about Bob’s Red Mill from the buyers at the Seward co-op. Awesome idea for a giveaway!
Hi – No need for the giveaway, but I just wanted to say what a great recipe the pumpkin brioche is, and how much I love your books! Baking bread is now a pleasure again, and I have time to do this. Thank you!
I’m going to try the whole wheat brioche first. I love Bob’s Red Mill products. Thanks for a chance at the giveaway.
I love HBin5 at least as much as I love ABin5! Tough choice, but I think I will make the 10-Grain Bread. Today I made Spelt and Sweet Potato Bread, and took it to my physical therapy session. Gone by the time my session was over! I’m impressed with the rise I get from the Vital Wheat Gluten. Thank you!
I’m trying to decide between making the red wine and cheese bread, the carrot bread, the peppery pumpkin and olive oil loaf, or the mesquite bread … lots of good looking recipes in HBin5
I need to find some vital wheat gluten – thanks for posting the photos as I now think I know which grocery store carries it.
I am searching for the White Whole Wheat Flour. Am hoping I can get the Bob’s Red Mill. I know my store carries some of their items. So excited about all the recipes. Pumpkin Pie Brioche!! That’s sounds like a good place to start!!!!!
I have embarked on a low glycemic diet (which I love) and intend to use Bob’s Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten White Whole Wheat flour for a ‘no-knead’ spelt bread recipe I’m working up! I’ve purchased other products from my Kroger and my Three Rivers Co-Op Market…..thanks so much!!
I’m planning on making brioche! I’ve never done it before, but the recipes I’ve made from the book thus far have been delicious so I’m going for it.
I have never baked with wheat gluten flour… so I would probably play it safe and bake your brioche.
I don’t own tiny brioche molds (though they are the cuteste) but a loaf mold that does just fine.
I might, though, spice it up and do a sort of gingerbread-brioche kind of things for the holidays!
I’d really like to do the whole wheat brioche, but I think that for now, enriched doughs are going to be on hold until I have guests to feed them to (and am not eating entire batches on my own.)
I’m going to make my next batch of plain starter from HBI5 – even though I’ve been enjoying the white batches I’ve done for the past two weeks- and then maybe do an olive bread.
I just got the book last week and couldn’t begin to decide but my girls want to start with the bagels.
I’m still working on that master recipe, I haven’t had the greatest results with it yet. I think ill require more tinkering, and possibly using an oven that’s not 30 years old.
and once I have more time.. whole wheat brioche for sure!
I’d up the ante to this recipe and add some cloves and orange zest and dried fruit and use it as a stollen base!
OK I definitely need to tell my local grocer about Bobs red mill gluten, they have the 6oz Hodkins Mill Gluten in stock, and that is barely enough to experiment with!
How do we get in on the baking groups??? I’d like to join the healthy bread in 5 group as I have some killer multigrain recipes I created while waiting for your new book to come out!
I’ve been having a tough time getting my hands on wheat gluten, so I haven’t tried ANY HBi5 recipes! 🙁 In addition to the master recipe, the garlic knots sound delicious, as well as the wheat brioche. Yum!
LOVE the new book…and the first book too!!! Please include me in the drawing.
I was going to start with the master recipe, but the pumpkin brioche may have to come first. It looks great!
I want to try the sweet potato bread!
My husband is a winemaker and one thing we have plenty of in this house is WINE, so the red wine and cheese bread has GOT to be on our Thanksgiving menu!
I plan on making a soft whole wheat sandwich loaf later today or tomorrow, as we’re almost out.
I hope to make the pumpkin brioche next week. I’m thinking about trying little individual ones, maybe cook ’em in a muffin pan (I don’t have the little single serving brioche tins) It seems like it would be a tasty snack that would be great for eating on the go. hmm, the more I think about these, I might make them before next week!
I can’t wait to make bagels!!!!
I’ve already tried the Pumpkin Pie Brioche recipe and loved it. I will be making a holiday braid from the whole grain master recipe next!
ooh, I love Bob’s Red Mill products. I sometimes add their Spelt and Barley flours to baked goods to mix things up.
Partner loves breads with lots of grains, so I’m itching to try the 10-Grain bread.
With recipes like pumpkin pie brioche and sweet potato bread, the question is what won’t I be baking?
I love the honey whole wheat—it has surpassed our old whole grain daily bread recipe, which is saying something! My daughter (7yo) especially loves it because, in her words, “it’s not bitter!” I’m planning to make the flax seed version next, as we already love flax seed and are always looking for new ways to incorporate it.
Would it be to much to say ALL of them – eventually.
I plan to make the Pumpkin Brioche! I have been reading through your site and love it! I “cook for hire” and love to introduce my customers to new foods. This is bound to be a big hit! I found a Brioche pan at the second hand store…their loss, my BIG gain! Thanks for all the tips! I hope to get your book for Christmas!
I’m going to make rye bread from the new book. Thank you.
Most likely whole wheat brioche will be next. Love your book !
Ready to try out the Pear Tarte Tatin with Whole Wheat Brioche–so far everyone has loved the recipes–house favorite was the Apple Strudel Bread.
I still need to get the book, but my friend told me about a pumpkin bread recipe and a lentil bread recipe. I want to try both of those!
Hmmm. The little chocolate breads from the Boston demonstration. 🙂
I will try the pumpkin brioche! Looks yummy.
I am turning my co-workers into bread bakers! Took a plastic storage container to work with the flour, yeast and salt already measured out. Gave it to my supervisor with a measure cup and spoon and told her to add 3 cups of warm water and stir. She had already bought the book and supplies months ago but never had time! She mixed it in the morning and by noon she put it in the fridge in our break room. At 5 pm, I punched out and we formed two bread loaves on parchment paper. She transported them home on paper plates and baked at home. What a success! She is now baking lots of bread! She is still on AB5 but I am loving your new book.
i’m thinking the pumpkin pie brioche would be the perfect recipe to try – my first from your book! 🙂
The whole wheat master recipe! I usually make the light wheat one, I’m curious to taste the difference!
the master recipe!
I will try either the pumpkin brioche because it looks so delicious, or one of the whole wheat sandwich bread recipes. I tried the one in HBin5 that said the kids would love it, but it was a little crumbly, so I will adjust and probably try one of the other recipes for comparison. I just got the book over the weekend and love it! The whole wheat banana bread is definintely a hit. The kids love it toasted with cinnamon-sugar for breakfast. The whole book looks delicious. 2 of my friends recently bought ABin5 and we are all going to get together and bake soon. Now I’ll have to tell them how good the new book is so we can all bake together from that one, too.
Why, I think I’ll bake this! Perfect for Thanksgiving, no?
I’m thinking of Betsy’s Seeded Oat Bread. We love nutty, seed-full whole grain breads!
I JUST got HBin5 and plan to start with the 100% whole wheat bread to help me learn the basics in baking whole wheat!
I don’t have the new book yet, but once I get it, I want to try the whole wheat brioche and use it for my Havarti Ham Brioche Rolls. I even found some mini brioche tins at the thrift store, so I’m really excited to try them out. I really need to get that book soon!
Would love to win this give-away–I can’t get Vital Wheat Gluten at the commissary overseas!
I just finished reading your first book and was so thrilled to pick up the HBin5 as we eat whole wheat here at home. I can’t wait to get started!!
I actually have the oven heating up right now for the new rye bread recipe. Today I baked a batch of the 10 grain bread and gave it to a friend of mine (who loved it!). So far, I’ve loved all of the recipes I’ve tried.
Your pictures really make me want a brioche pan. I’m planning on making panettone soon, as well.
The honey graham bread has been calling out to me, but this pumpkin brioche sure does look tempting.
Great choice on the giveaway – I love Bob’s Red Mill!
well, I still don’t have the book yet, but a SOFT not-too-dense whole grain sandwich bread is what I’m hoping to make. Although this one sure looks super yummy for a treat!
I’ve already baked half a dozen but my fave so far is the honey Graham because my mom is called Gram so my DD calls is Grammy Gram bread!