Pumpkin Bread with Cranberries

I've been experimenting with my bread machine. I mainly use it for making the dough, then shape the loaf and bake it in the oven. This is one of the recipes that has become a favourite 

My bread machine takes 1 1/2 hours just to make the dough, while a complete cycle of mixing and baking takes anywhere from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, depending on the type of dough. Baking the shaped dough in the oven takes just 20 minutes, so the bread is ready much faster. There’s another advantage: when you bake bread in a bread machine, you’re pretty much limited to the standard rectangular loaf. I love experimenting with different shapes, and there’s something satisfying about getting your hands into the dough and shaping it yourself. :) Of course, sometimes it’s nice to let the bread machine do all the work. You can add all the ingredients in the evening and wake up to a fresh, rich loaf in the morning. All in all, I have absolutely no regrets about buying a bread machine. And if you’ve always been intimidated by yeast dough, I highly recommend giving one a try.

Ingredients (makes 2 loaves)

• 3/4 cup warm water (180 ml)

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup pumpkin purée (80 g)

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 50 g butter, cut into small pieces

• 3 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 tbsp orange zest

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (440 g)

• 1 1/2 tsp dry yeast

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Steps

1. Add the ingredients to the bread machine pan, following the instructions for your model

2. In my bread machine, the liquid ingredients go in first, followed by the dry ingredients

3. Select the “Dough” setting

4. Shape the finished dough as desired, cover with a towel, and let it rest for 30 minutes. The dough will rise a little more during this time

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 20 minutes