Pumpkin Brioche Bread

Name: Pumpkin Brioche Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup warm milk; 2 tbsp yeast; 1 tbsp sugar; 3/4 cup pumpkin puree; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 1 egg; 2 tbsp melted butter; 2 tsp salt; 3 cups + 1/4 cup flour; 1 whole egg beaten

Fluffy, yeasted brioche dough, flavored with pumpkin puree and shaped like a pumpkin. This is the ultimate Thanksgiving table center piece that doubles up as a side dish recipe too.

If baking bread is daunting and stresses you out, then let this recipe the only one you make first. It is very simple to make, not to mention delicious and very pretty. I like baking the dough into the shape of a giant pumpkin but you could just as well bake it in a loaf tin to make a pumpkin sandwich bread instead.

What is brioche bread?

Brioche bread is a French yeasted bread that is lightly sweetened. The bread is enriched with eggs, butter and milk making for a very tender and fluffy bread texture once baked. It has a deep golden color on the outside from a classic egg wash. You can most often than not find them in the shape of a braid, loaf or small rolls.

What is Pumpkin brioche bread?

Get a classic brioche and add pumpkin puree to the dough to make it flavored with pumpkin but it also gets this beautiful orange color that is natural from the puree. I like the addition of maple syrup in the dough as well since maple and pumpkin are delicious friends.

What ingredients do you need to make this Pumpkin brioche bread?

Dry ingredients –

To make this dough we need flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. I have used all purpose flour but bread flour also works gives you a chewy product once baked – which is delicious.

Wet ingredients –

We need milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, maple syrup and melted butter. You can use any milk you prefer and the eggs can be swapped for yogurt (you could use a dairy free yogurt to keep this recipe vegan). I have added maple syrup as the flavor is perfect with pumpkin puree but you can use honey or swap it with sugar. You can use store bought pumpkin puree or check out my homemade pumpkin puree recipe. Instead of butter you can use olive oil or any other oil you prefer.

What equipment do you need to make this Pumpkin brioche bread?

To mix the dough I have used a large mixing bowl and my hands. You can use a stand mixer with the dough hook which will do the job much faster. I have baked this bread in the oven on a flat baking sheet tray. To shape it into a pumpkin I have used bakers twine. I like brushing the dough with egg wash before baking hence we need a brush as well.

How to make this Pumpkin brioche bread?

In a large mixing bowl add the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Stir and set aside, let this become frothy – should take 10 minutes. Once frothy, add the melted butter, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, egg and mix until combined. Add the salt, flour and mix until you have a shaggy dough. Empty the bowl onto a kitchen counter and begin kneading with your hands. It will be sticky but keep mixing and it will come together. You can add up to 1/4 cup of additional flour if it is too sticky. You can do this step in the stand mixer as well, it will take half the time.

Once the dough has come together, shape into a ball and place in the large mixing bowl. Add a little oil or melted butter into the bowl – this is to ensure it doesn’t stick, cover and let it rest for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Remove the cover, knock back with your hands and shape into a ball, place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, tie with bakers twine, cover and rest for 30 mins. In the mean time preheat the oven to 180℃. Once the dough has risen, brush with egg and bake for 30 mins. You will know it is done when you knock on the bread and there is a hollow sound. Allow it to cool, cut the bakers twine and serve.

How to serve this Pumpkin brioche bread?

Once the bread is baked I love serving it with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt flakes. You can serve it with my bacon and eggs butter spread, salted butter or if you want to eat this with something sweet serve it with salted butter and honey or Nutella. It is a delicious side dish that pairs well with pasta or any main course. I enjoy it with curry/stew as well since it mops up the sauce really well. I love making french toast with this bread too.

How to store this Pumpkin brioche bread?

The leftovers can be stored in zip lock bags in the fridge for 3 days. If you are storing it longer, I would recommend storing the bread in the freezer. It will keep for one month. When ready to serve, let it thaw and warm for 20 seconds in the microwave until slightly warmed through.

Looking for more bread recipes?

Pro tips for the PERFECT Pumpkin brioche bread:

Bloom the yeast, this is to ensure your yeast is not dead and active. We want to see some frothy yeasty action.
Take your time and knead the dough, a good 10 minutes by hand and 5 minutes in the mixer. This is to activate the gluten and helps make the bread fluffy.
Dont rush the proofing time and allow the dough to rise until doubled in volume, this might take more than the stipulated time as it depends on temperature and humidity.
Egg washing the dough helps give it that beautiful golden color once baked.
Do not over bake the bread it will continue to cook as it cools down.
Allow the dough to cool before slicing, when the dough just comes out of the oven it will have a crust, as it cools down the crust wont be crunchy, hence serve as per your liking.

Now that we have covered how to make this Pumpkin brioche bread, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.