Pumpkin season is upon us; good news if you’re a fan of pumpkin spice! I enjoy making meals and breads that fit the time of year, using seasonal ingredients where I can. Last night, after the kids were tucked in, my husband and I enjoyed Maple Manhattans with a splash of concentrated (boiled) apple cider. That’s one of my favorite fall ingredients and a (not-so) secret ingredient for apple pie! I’ve also roasted a few pumpkins in my day, especially when we lived in Germany and couldn’t find pumpkin puree in any grocery stores. For this week’s bread I’m relying on Libby’s to bring great pumpkin flavor!
For this coming week’s bake, I’m making a pumpkin sourdough with cinnamon and golden raisins. This is not your typical pumpkin bread, dense and sweet. This is light, airy, barely sweet, and fragrant with cinnamon. The golden raisins add a nice burst of sweetness and the pumpkin brings that gorgeous color and lovely flavor. This loaf is most like sandwich bread in its texture and size. I made some for a neighbor this week who served it alongside chili. We’ve been enjoying it toasted with butter. It would be fabulous with pumpkin butter, or as French toast!
As always, I will be making my house sourdough, a crusty loaf with a good portion of freshly-milled grains. If you’re on the fence about sourdough this is a great place to jump in. It’s not overly sour and is completely naturally leavened, as are all my sourdough breads. I give this a cold proof overnight to give the flavor a boost and to let the natural yeast do its job. That long proofing time aids in the digestibility of the bread, making it something that even many people who are gluten intolerant can enjoy.
I will be baking on Thursday, October 19th and Friday, October 20th, for pickup at my home both days or at Hillsdale College on Thursday the 19th. Please indicate your preference when you order! I’ll have orders open until Tuesday, October 17th. Payment is by cash, check, cashapp, or credit card on the website, hillsdalehearth.com.
Please let me know if you have any questions, or if you have special requests! I’ve been thinking about the November menu and trying out a few new recipes. If there are breads you’d love to see at Thanksgiving, please shoot that to me in an email.