#pumpkin bread

I have become utterly enamored of @thearcanagame in recent months.  And if you’re interested in beautiful, gender-inclusive, Tarot-themed visual novels, you should be too!  So it was only a matter of time before I combined my new fandom with baking.

Aspiced pumpkin bread features prominently in the first chapters of the game; it’s a favorite treat for you and your magical mentor Asra.  Most American pumpkin breads are quick breads, made with baking soda or baking powder for leavening, but those chemical leaveners are a fairly modern invention.  So I decided that my pumpkin bread would be yeasted, and I eventually settled on a spiced pumpkin couronne (the freeform cousin of the babka).  The dough is infused with lapsang souchong, Asra’s favorite beverage, and swirled with a puree of pumpkin spiced with Syrian baharat, a spice mix that includes cardamom and rose petals among more traditional flavors.

The result, by the way, was entirely delicious.  The smoky tea really complements the spices and sweetness with a haunting scent of autumn.  I can see why it would be worth making the Countess wait!

Asra’s Pumpkin Bread
(makes 2 loaves)

Dough:
1 c milk
2 level tablespoons loose-leaf Lapsang Souchong tea
2 tsp instant yeast
5 to 5 ½ c flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup raw turbinado sugar
3 eggs
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room-temperature

Filling:
1 15-oz can of pure pumpkin puree
½ cup raw turbinado sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp spice mix (see note)

Shaping:
1 egg
flour for dusting

Note on spice mix: You can use pumpkin pie spice if you want, but I used Syrian baharat, which can be found in Middle Eastern groceries or mixed from a recipe online.  (Garam masala or five-spice powder would probably also be delicious!)  If you grind your own spice mix, reduce the amount a little, as their flavors will be extra intense.

1) Put milk and tea in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring regularly.  Once milk is at a rolling boil, remove from heat and steep for 4 minutes.  Strain out the tea leaves with a sieve and let cool until it’s barely warm (comfortable to touch).

2) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk, yeast, cinnamon, sugar, and eggs.  Mix together until combined, then add the flour and salt.  Mix, starting at a slow speed and gradually increasing to medium, until the dough comes together into a smooth mass.  Touch the dough; it should be solid but giving to the touch, like Asra’s cheeks.  If it’s too liquid, add a bit of flour; if it’s too hard, add a bit of milk.

3) Turn the mixer to medium and add the soft butter, one tablespoon at a time; wait until each tablespoon is mostly absorbed before adding the next.  Once all the butter is absorbed, keep beating the dough for a couple of minutes to develop the gluten, until it’s soft but springy and smooth.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave it somewhere warm for about an hour, until doubled in volume.

4) While the dough rises, mix together all the ingredients of the filling until smooth.

5) Divide dough in half.  On a flour-dusted surface, roll out each half into a 14-inch square.  Spread half the filling evenly over the square; leave a one-inch margin clear at the top.  Starting at the bottom, roll the square into a cylinder, firmly but gently — you don’t want to squeeze out the filling!

6) This part sounds tricky, but it’s really easy.  Just trust yourself.  Using a serrated knife, cut the cylinder in half lengthwise.  Take each half and twist them gently around each other.  Then curve the dough into a fat circle and tuck the ends underneath.  Place it gently on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat for the second loaf.

7) Let the loaves rise for 45-60 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees and whisk the egg in a small bowl with a splash of water.

8) Once the loaves are nice and puffy, brush them with the egg and bake for 40-45 minutes.  They should be a rich golden brown and make a hollow sound when you tap them.  Cool completely before serving (or wrap up in a clean cloth to enjoy later!).