This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread is a show stopper. Not only it looks like a real pumpkin but it makes your mouth water just smelling the fragrance of delicious fall flavors: pumpkin, cinnamon, chocolate and raisins.
The best part? It doesn’t require any special equipment or tedious preparation. In fact, this pumpkin shaped bread is made WITHOUT a mold.
All it takes is a few simple ingredients and little bit of time to let the dough rise.
The result? Soft, fluffy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread that tastes like brioche. What can be better than this on a cold winter morning?
Now let's see some tips and tricks and answers to common questions to get the perfect loaf.
Table Of Contents
Can I make a bigger pumpkin bread?
You absolutely can! Ingredients indicated in the recipe is enough for a huge pumpkin. However I find it cooks better and LOOKS better to when the dough is divided into 2 parts. As a result you’ll have not one, but two medium size pumpkin bread.
Can I use chocolate instead of chocolate chips?
Yes, just chop chocolate into pieces. Size of a chocolate chip is ideal.
Can I skip raisins?
Sure. Skip raisins or even chocolate chips for that matter. They add extra flavor but this pumpkin bread with a touch of cinnamon is absolutely delicious baked plain.
Canned Pumpkin or Fresh Pumpkin?
You can easily use both. Canned pumpkin is an easy, ready-to-make option.
If you have a real pumpkin, all you need to do is cut it in slices, bake in the oven until soft, cool and puree it with a blender or food processor.
Approximate yield of fresh pumpkin with skin is 3:1, meaning from 15 oz of raw uncooked pumpkin you’ll get 5 oz on pumpkin puree, obviously without skin.
How To Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Step By Step
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. In a large bowl or mixer bowl add flour, sugar, yeast water. Mix well. Add pumpkin puree, an egg, orange zest and vanilla extract. Continue kneading until all ingredients are well combines. Lastly add in butter cut in cubes.
Continue working the dough on a worktop or in a stand mixer until it becomes smooth, silky and will non longer stick to the bowl (photo 1).
Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature (between 75-85F or 25-30C). It’ll take about 2 hours for the dough to double in size (photos 2, 3, 4).
Lightly flour the worktop, turn the bowl upside down and let the dough come out, helping it with a spatula if needed.
Gently punch down the dough and divide into 2 pieces (photo 5).
Give each piece sort of a square shape (photo 6).
Top with chocolate chips and raisins pressing them into the dough (photos 7, 8).
Fold the edges into the center, then fold again sealing well (photos 9, 10).
Cut a long piece of kitchen twine (approx), grease it and run it under and around the dough ball in a way that the ball is divided into 8 parts (photos 11, 12).
Do not tie the ball too tightly as it will continue to rise a lot more during the second rise and in the oven.
Repeat the same process with the second piece of the dough.
Transfer your pumpkin bread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a linen towel and let rise for 30-60 minutes (photos 13, 14).
Preheat the oven to 350F (180F).
Beat an egg with some milk and gently brush the bread with egg wash. Cut off excess of kitchen twine (photos 15, 16).
Place your pumpkins in a preheated oven and bake it for about 30 minutes.
Check on the bread at 25 minute mark and adjust baking time depending on the coloring of the bread. It should have a nice golden color.
Carefully remove kitchen twine. Dust with confectioneers sugar and insert a cinnamon stick imitating a pumpkin stem.
Let cool before serving.
More Fall Recipes with Pumpkin:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread also makes a perfect gift!
Full Recipe
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cup all purpose flour , approx 430 g
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree , approx 150 g
- ½ teaspoon dry yeast
- ¼ cup water , approx 60 g
- 1.5 oz butter , cut in cubes
- ⅓ cup sugar , approx 80 g
- 1 egg
- 1 orange , zest only
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips , approx 115 g
- 1 cup raisins , approx 100 g
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon milk
For decoration:
- Confectioneers sugar
- Cinnamon Stick
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. In a large bowl or mixer bowl add flour, sugar, yeast water. Mix well. Add pumpkin puree, an egg, orange zest and vanilla extract. Continue kneading until all ingredients are well combines. Lastly add in butter cut in cubes.
- Continue working the dough on a worktop or in a stand mixer until it becomes smooth, silky and will non longer stick to the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature (between 75-85F or 25-30C).
- It’ll take about 2 hours for the dough to double in size.
- Lightly flour the worktop, turn the bowl upside down and let the dough come out, helping it with a spatula if needed.
- Gently punch down the dough and divide into 2 pieces.
- Give each piece sort of a square shape.
- Top with chocolate chips and raisins pressing them into the dough.
- Fold the edges into the center, then fold again sealing well.
- Cut a long piece of kitchen twine (approx), grease it and run it under and around the dough ball in a way that the ball is divided into 8 parts.
- Do not tie the ball too tightly as it will continue to rise a lot more during the second rise and in the oven.
- Repeat the same process with the second piece of the dough.
- Transfer your pumpkin bread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a linen towel and let rise for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- Beat an egg with some milk and gently brush the bread with egg wash.
- Place your pumpkin in a preheated oven and bake it for about 30 minutes.
- Check on the bread at 25 minute mark and adjust baking time depending on the coloring of the bread. It should have a nice golden color.Carefully remove kitchen twine. Dust with confectioneers sugar and insert a cinnamon stick imitating a pumpkin stem.Let cool before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Buon Appetito!
Whitney says
Can you use instant yeast?
Svitlana says
Yes, absolutely. Same amount.
SusieQ says
Is 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast the right amount? We made the bread, it was delicious, but the rise wasn’t much. both loaves were quite small.
Italian Recipe Book says
The rise depends on the ambient temperature. It takes a little more time for the dough to rise in cooler environment but 1/2 tsp yeast will do that just fine. If you want to accelerate the process a little bit, you can increase the amount of yeast up to 1 tsp. The most important thing to look for is the second rise as shown in the step by step pictures. Hope this clarifies your doubts 🙂
Sarah says
My bread keeps rising open as it bakes, which distorts the pumpkin shape, any ideas on how to keep its integrity?
Italian Recipe Book says
There are might be several reasons why your pumpkin bread is splitting but I would guess it might be one of these:
1. Bread has dried out on the surface during final proofing. Solution is to place tall glasses around the pumpkin bread and cover everything with a plastic wrap or poly bag so that it. Glasses will prevent plastic from touching the dough but will preserve all the moisture during final proofing.
2. It might be under-proofed when placed in the oven. Make sure the bread has risen as shown in the pictures.
Let me know if this helped!
Jack says
Add cinnamon at the beginning? Also the dough wouldn’t come together until I added the pumpkin. Is that the right amount of water?
Italian Recipe Book says
Yes Jack, you can add cinnamon to the dough if you prefer. Add it together with pumpkin puree.
The amount of water is correct and what you describe is normal. Pumpkin puree has a lot of moisture that will be absorbed by the dough. Also consider that you'll bee adding butter that will soften the dough even more. Check out my step-by-step pictures of this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread for the dough consistency when it's ready for proving.