Pumpkin Spice Bread

Updated: Nov 20, 2020

A warm, buttery, spiced brioche to fill your belly and your soul. The sweet swirls are filled with pumpkin spice, brown sugar, and a coffee kick - everything you need during the cold months ahead. A bit of a tricky bake, but since the holidays are coming up, you might find yourself with a bit of extra time on your hands. So get in the kitchen and experiment with this little beaut!

It's Pumpkin Spice season here in New England - and as such, it seems only fitting to infuse it in all my baked goods throughout the next month or so. This is a brioche-style dough so it needs to be done ahead of time. It could be a bit of a lengthy process, but it is oh so satisfying once you're done. If you don't feel up to the task, dontcha worry - try my Sweet & Warm Cinnamon Swirl Bread! Equally as delicious, but a bit easier to make.

This is a LAAARGE circular braided loaf, so make sure you got people around to share it with. Or you can choose to make it for yourself which, as you know by now, I won't judge.

Kitchen equipment you will need:

a scale (I usually covert my recipes to cups but this one is a tad more precise and will turn out much better if you use a scale - you don't need anything fancy though!)
stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment
a large bowl (about 4qt size)
rolling pin
wire cooling rack (if you have one)
measuring spoons
9" Springform Pan* (or something similar)
pastry brush or paper towel
small sieve for dusting confectioners sugar

* I have this one from Amazon.

Ingredients:

for the dough

500g All Purpose Flour (I use King Arthur All Purpose Flour)
2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
50g White Granulated Sugar
8g Fast-Action Yeast
113g Unsalted Butter, softened, plus extra for buttering the bowl for proving
270ml Whole Milk, warmed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

for the filling

75g White Granulated Sugar
75g Light Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Instant Coffee
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
50g Almond Flour
113g Unsalted Butter
1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

finishing touches

confectioners sugar
apricot jam

RECIPE LEVEL: Intermediate - Advanced

HANDS-ON TIME: 45 minutes

FIRST PROVE: 6 hours or overnight

SECOND PROVE: 1:30 - 2 hours

BAKING TIME: 40 - 45 minutes

Method:

1. For the dough, place all ingredients except the milk into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Heat the milk in the microwave until it is warmed through but not hot. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly pour in the milk. Mix dough for 15 minutes on low to medium speed until it is very stretchy and smooth.

2. Butter your large bowl and place the dough in for its first prove. Prove at room temperature for 2 - 3 hours. Then place in the fridge for a further 3 hours or until the next day when you're ready to use it.

3. Once the first prove is completed, make your filling by placing all ingredients into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment. Whip up the ingredients until the mixture looks airy and light. Set aside.

4. Begin shaping the dough by flouring your work surface and dividing the dough into three equal pieces. Roll out your first piece into a 9" x 13" rectangle (or close to it.) Take a third of your filling mixture and spread as evenly as possible across your rectangle of dough, leaving a border of about 3/4" around the perimeter. Then take the longer edge of your rectangle and roll into a log. Try to seal the seam as best you can. Repeat these steps for the 2 other pieces of dough.

5. Take all three strands and begin braiding them. Once completed, take your braid and place it round your buttered springform pan into a circle. Leave to prove for a second time for about 1:30 - 2 hours. Preheat your oven to 400F during this time.

6. Place your dough into your preheated oven. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350F for a further 30-35 minutes. Tent your dough with aluminum foil if you begin to see that it is getting too brown. This will prevent it from burning on the top but the middle will continue to bake.

7. Once baked, leave to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Add a couple of tablespoons of apricot jam in a small bowl with a dash of water. Brush the whole loaf while it's still slightly warm with the thinned out jam and leave to cool completely. Once the loaf is completely cool, dust some confectioners sugar for decoration on the top.

8. Eat eat eat.