Falling for Pumpkin
September 23, 2009 at 12:01 am | In Baking / Cooking, Food | 45 CommentsAs if suddenly freed from the restraints of summer’s final days, autumn’s official first day saw me clamoring back into the kitchen, scheming up new ways to reintroduce my favorite orange gourd once back into my diet. Pumpkin is just one of those endlessly versatile ingredients that can be prepared any way you can imagine- Be it sweet or savory, salty or sour, crunchy or creamy- And still never get old. It may be hard not to rely on this multifaceted squash for cooking inspiration in the days to come, being such a perfect flavor for the fresh season and all, but I’m not holding back today, not when the leaves are turning and the air itself carries the essence of fall!
If there were anything more cozy than a pumpkin dish for an unexpectedly chilly day, it would definitely be a pumpkin bread. But this time, my sweet tooth was no where to be found, relenting to the otherwise quiet desire for something a bit more savory. No need to compromise though, a yeasted pumpkin bread that leaned more on salt than sugar fits the bill just fine.
Lightly spiced with a dash of nutmeg and a pinch of sage, this bright orange bread is in truth an attempt at focaccia gone awry, but I prefer to think of it merely as a flat bread, better suited to accompany a nice warm soup anyway, if you ask me. While it would be delicious by itself, the topping of soft caramelized onions is what makes this otherwise simple bread stand out, putting it heads and shoulders above any other plain pumpkin loaf. There is one problem with it though- It seems to magically disappear if you leave it on the counter for a day!
Pumpkin Flat Bread with Caramelized Onions
3/4 Cup Warm Water (Between 100 and 110 Degrees)
1 Teaspoon Agave Nectar
1 0.6-Ounce Cube Fresh yeast
3 Cups White Whole Wheat flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon Chopped Dried Sage
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 15-Ounce Can Pumpkin Puree
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Medium Yellow Onions, Thinly Sliced
Salt
Pepper
Baking Soda
In a small bowl, stir together the warm water and agave, and crumble in the fresh yeast. Stir to combine, and let sit for 5 minutes.
Sift the flour into your stand mixer, along with the salt, nutmeg, and sage, and mix briefly before pouring in the yeast mixture. Install the dough hook attachment before proceeding, as things may get a bit sticky from here on in. Add in the pumpkin puree and olive oil, and let the mixer slowly incorporate these wet ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until there are no remaining patches of dry flour. Continue running the machine, allowing it to kneed the dough for about 10 minutes. It should still be rather wet and sticky, but much smoother than before. Transfer the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight, or about 8 – 10 hours.
In the morning, take the bowl of out the fridge to let it come to room temperature while you deal with the topping. Peel and cut the onions in half, from pole to pole, and slice them thinly. Place a pan over moderate heat and pour in the oil. Add the onions, followed by a pinch of both salt and pepper, and just the tiniest dash of baking soda. (This helps the caramelizing process move a bit faster- You can leave it out if you’d prefer, but you shouldn’t taste it in the end.) Stirring every couple of minutes, cook the onions until the reach a light brown hue, but be careful not to take them too dark, as they’ll continue to cook in the oven. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.
Grease a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan and set aside.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and use your fingers to press it out into more or less of a rectangle. Fold it over itself like a letter, press firmly, and turn it. Repeat this a few times, until the surface seems smooth. Transfer the rectangle into your prepared pan, and once again use your fingers to coax it out into the corners. It may seem like not enough dough, but it will cover the pan with a bit of persuasion. Let rise at room temperature for about one hour.
Meanwhile, begin preheating your oven to 375 degrees. When the dough seems almost ready, poke it like you would a focaccia to give it a slightly bumpy-looking surface. Spoon the onions evenly over the top.
Bake for 35 – 45 minutes or until the loaf is nicely browned on the bottom (remove the bread from the oven and use oven mits to peek underneath, being very careful not to burn yourself of course!) Depending on how dark you cooked you oven, you may wish to tent the loaf with aluminum foil after about 20 minutes to prevent them from burning. Let cool on a wire rack.
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It’s still summer here in California, but I’m looking forward to Fall weather so I too can eat pumpkin all the time without guilt! I love pumpkin–I’m glad to see that you do too!
Comment by Tessa — September 23, 2009 #
YUMMM!
Comment by Megan — September 23, 2009 #
Im in love with the look of this! I can taste it now mmmmm :)
Rose
Comment by Roses R Red — September 23, 2009 #
Mmmmm…mmmmm…mmmm..looks fantastic for Fall.
Comment by Oiyi — September 23, 2009 #
Whoa, whoa, whoa, Hannah. This is like illegally mouth-watering. I can’t handle it!
It’s still like 90-100 degrees here in CA as someone else said, but I want this bread like nobody’s business! Thanks for being your awesome vegan inventive self!
Comment by Nora — September 23, 2009 #
That looks so good Hannah :-) I haven¨t had pumpkin in any form for a long time, but I have frozen pumpkin puree in my freezer which could be used for this.
Comment by Yaelian — September 23, 2009 #
You are SO creative, how do you even come up with these amazing ideas!?! This looks like the perfect accompaniment to a hearty fall stew….well, with me this bread would be the star of the show and the soup would be the accompaniment! I love caramelized onions!
Comment by The voracious Vegan — September 23, 2009 #
I love you for using fresh yeast! And this sounds like the perfect recipe for the masses of pumpkin I have. Thank you!
Comment by Mihl — September 23, 2009 #
Mmm pumpkin is definitely at the top of my list of favourites. I love this! Yum!
Comment by Vegetation — September 23, 2009 #
You have no idea how badly I want this bread right now! I’m buying the ingredients ASAP! It will be the first thing I make with pumpkin, and after that, let the orange skin begin! :)
Comment by Shelby — September 23, 2009 #
I could sit and eat a whole plate of this!
Comment by Jeena — September 23, 2009 #
This looks absolutely delicious!
Comment by marybakes — September 23, 2009 #
What a creative use for pumpkin! I admit to typically pairing this fall favorite with sweet ingredients, but this post is a realization that I should explore pumpkin’s savory side.
Comment by Lauren — September 23, 2009 #
A true savory pumpkin delight!
Comment by VeggieGirl — September 23, 2009 #
Truly my type of flat bread. Autumn is so in the air for you :)
Comment by Anh — September 23, 2009 #
mmm a savory pumpkin dish! I’m always drawn to the sweet but this sounds amazing!
Comment by stephchows — September 23, 2009 #
I want to make this, but I’m afraid of that disappearing act! Oh, but that picture’s got me drooling…
Comment by Micco — September 23, 2009 #
This recipe looks beyond perfect for pretty much anything I’m cooking up these days. And with caramelized onions, you can’t go wrong. Happy autumn!
Comment by Jes — September 23, 2009 #
I can’t wait to try this! It’s still a stifling 86 degrees here in seattle, but I am anxiously awaiting fall for exactly this reason – Pumpkin flavoured things!
Comment by Kelley — September 23, 2009 #
Ohlalalala so nice, so appetizing ;)
Bravo, great job !
My favorite blog ;)
Comment by VeganPower — September 23, 2009 #
How gorgeous this looks Hannah! For some strange reason it is always hard to find pumpkins here, even though they are grown in abundance but if you want to buy one you have to really search for them!
Comment by junglefrog — September 23, 2009 #
Wow, I really want to try this. I am a sucker for pumpkin. Thanks!
Comment by Melody Sage — September 23, 2009 #
this is amazing! i have never thought to use pumpkin in a yeasted bread. this seems like it would be super, super delicious. even though it’s a bit involved, it seems totally worth it!
Comment by Sophie — September 23, 2009 #
I love the color that pumpkin imparts to recipes. This bread is gorgeous and with caramelized onions too – wow!
Comment by Diann — September 23, 2009 #
I’ve never been much of a pumpkin fan. Too many gross tasting pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving while growing up. But your pumpkin flat bread looks delicious! I may have to give pumpkins another chance after seeing this. :-)
Comment by chow vegan — September 24, 2009 #
Does that look mouthwatering, or what?! I love pumpkin, too, and I bet this bread is one that I wouldn’t be able to resist. Maybe I’d better not try it, after all. . ! ;)
Comment by Ricki — September 24, 2009 #
oh man, these totes got me jones-ing for some pumpkin pancakes with cranberry sauce… dont knock it till you try it. The catch is that there has been a recall on pumpkin puree in miami recently. I dont know what the deal is but im definitelu saving my last can for the winter months… just in case I can’t find any more before it becomes time to make a pie.
Do you still have pumpkin puree up there? (could you send some out, lol) Nice flatbread!!!
Comment by Clay — September 24, 2009 #
I’ve never used fresh yeast… Do you think I could I sub a packet of active-dry? This looks delicious!
Comment by shay — September 24, 2009 #
Your pumpkin flat bread looks absolutely delicious! I love fall and all the flavors that come with it.
Comment by Jessica — September 24, 2009 #
Can’t wait to start using pumpkin again. It seems not long ago that I had had my fill and here we are again, autumn is here.
It’s 100 here in California. blah
Comment by dreaminitvegan — September 24, 2009 #
[...] I can find any canned pumpkin, everywhere I turn I keep finding delicious looking pumpkin recipes: Pumpkin Flat Bread with Caramelized Onions; My Best Pumpkin Bread; Pumpkin Spice No-Bake Cheesecake; and Pumpkin [...]
Pingback by Pumpkin Passion » Blog Archive » 2009 Pumpkin Shortage — September 24, 2009 #
This looks delicious! I loooove pumpkin! It always adds an awesome touch to food. My dad makes this fabulous bean, veggie, and pumpkin chili, and it just pumps up all of the normal bean and pepper flavors in such a wonderful and unexpected way.
Comment by Sara — September 24, 2009 #
Hi Sara,
Oh, that is such a great idea, I’m definitely going to try that for my next batch of chili! Thanks for sharing. :)
-Hannah
>
Comment by BitterSweet — September 26, 2009 #
This looks so good Hannah! I’ll try as soon as I move to the new apartment :D
Comment by Glauce — September 25, 2009 #
ooh, how perfect! this sounds amazing :)
Comment by Shannon — September 25, 2009 #
This looks amazing! By the way I have the first review of your book on my blog. The girls love it and have a whole list of recipes to try.
Comment by Debra — September 25, 2009 #
Looks beautiful, can’t wait to try it!
xo
Eco Mama
Comment by EcoMama — September 26, 2009 #
I love anything pumpkin and this bread looks gorgeous! Great addition of onions on top too. Do you think I can replace the fresh yeast with dry yeast? I also love that you used the whole can of pumpkin! So many recipes call for 1/2 cup or 1 cup and I always save it and freeze it for later then never end up using it.
Comment by Ashley — September 27, 2009 #
Fascinatingly deliciouslooking.
Comment by stellatex — September 29, 2009 #
Oh my, SO beautiful!
Comment by melisser — September 30, 2009 #
Oh this looks delicious. I am working on a pumpkin recipe round up and I would love to include this recipe and link to you.
Comment by Sweet Pea — October 3, 2009 #
What a perfect pumpkin bread! I LOVE this post so much and I just posted a link to your recipe. Hope you don’t mind, thank you so much for sharing:)
Comment by Oraphan — October 6, 2009 #
[...] the whole loaf. I had to slice and taste it immediately. It is an adapted version of Hannah’s pumpkin flatbread. I used homemade pumpkin purée. I have never used canned purée, so I can’t compare, but I [...]
Pingback by Vegan MoFo – Pumpkin Bread « seitan is my motor — October 6, 2009 #
No. Way.
Amazing!
Comment by The Ordinary Vegetarian — October 6, 2009 #
Amazing! Again, some random recipe idea pops into my mind (i.e. pumpkin flatbread, homemade white chocolate, etc etc) and a quick google search ALWAYS leads me to your site…and always within a month of your posting. Craziness!
Comment by Rebecca — November 5, 2009 #