Looking for a beautiful bread to enjoy on a crisp fall morning? Our Seeded Fall Pumpkin Bread blends traditional autumn flavors with tangy Lifeway Farmer Cheese to create bread that belongs in every autumn recipe arsenal. Protein-packed Lifeway Farmer Cheese is the secret ingredient that gives this bread a satisfyingly crisp outer crust and moist and springy center. It’s superb. Just remember to spread a little extra on top when you serve it!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir is packed with variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese, a creamy high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.
Prep Time: 24 hours Servings: 6-8Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin pureé (not pumpkin pie filling_
- 2 tsp. active yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 1/2 cup Farmer Cheese
- assorted seeds - pumpkin seeds, white and black sesame seeds
Directions
- Note: You will need: a Dutch oven or other baking vessel with a lid and parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together pumpkin pureé, water, salt, yeast, and honey in a large mixing bowl.
- Add 1 cup flour and throughly combine. Repeat with 2 remaining cups of flour. Fold in Lifeway Farmer Cheese.
- Reach into the bowl and mix well with your hands. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic.
- In a bowl, add the ball of dough cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 12-18 hours, or until the dough has more than doubled and there are bubbles on the surface.
- Stretch out the ball to about three times the height of the dough and fold it over. Repeat two more times, alternating sides. Form the bowl into a ball.
- Place the dough ball into a well-floured bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rise until 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a Dutch oven in the oven as it preheats.
- Place a large sheet parchment paper on the bottom of your Dutch oven, letting some overhang on the sides if needed. In as quick of a motion as possible, place your dough in the Dutch oven. Moisten hands with water and lightly rub the dough to keep it soft and moist.
- Scatter the seeds over the bread's surface. Score the bread with a sharp knife.
- Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and then bake for another 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, let cool, and then enjoy. Be sure to spread some extra Lifeway Farmer Cheese on top of each slice with a pat of butter—trust us!
- This bread will keep in a cool, dry place for 2-3 days. If storing for longer, it's best to store in the fridge or freezer longer term.
