Pumpkin (or Squash) Pumpernickel Bread 3 Loaves
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 package yeast
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 cup mashed pumpkin
- 1 1/2 Tbs salt
- 6 cup rye flour
- 2 TBS sugar
- 2 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 TBS solid shortening
- 1 TBS caraway seeds
Instructions
Stir cold water into cornmeal. Add to boiling water and cook stirring constantly until thick. Add salt, sugar, caraway. Let stand till lukewarm . Meanwhile, soften yeast in lukewarm water. After 15 minutes, stir pumpkin and yeast into cornmeal dough. Add rye flour and enough whole wheat to make a stiff dough you have to stir with hands. Turn dough out onto floured board and knead for 10-15 minutes until it becomes elastic and doesn't stick to the board. Place dough in large greased bowl, grease its surface and set in warm place (80-85 degrees) to rise until doubled (it will take longer than white or whole-wheat breads; set in metal bowl in dishpan or bigger bowl of hot water to help it along). Punch down and form into 3 cannon-ball loaves. Grease tops of loaves, let rise again until doubled in bulk. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven about 1 hour. This bread is orange-brown, not dark like most bakery pumpernickel, because it uses no molasses.