Sweet Sunday – Pumpkin Bread

So unfortunately in Holland the weather is actually quite bad at the moment, lots and lots of rain. Well basically, it is as I am writing this.

In my family we have this tradition that we get together annually for the weekend. Just to catch up with each other and see what’s going on in each other’s lives. Sort of “family-building” as you might call it. This year it’s in a very small village in the east of Holland. The weather expectations were quite positive in the days before, but as it usually goes, they are completely inaccurate.

Thus, to give you a recipe (which probably is mainly applicable to the Dutchies reading this blog) to suit this weather, I present to you Pumpkin Bread.

This bread, to me, is a perfect recipe for rainy or cold days. It’s rich and comforting. Filled with pumpkin, and several winter spices, it’s a soft, deliciously flavourful bread.

So for the readers in sunny and warm places. First of all, I am so incredibly jealous. Second of all, just make it. Who cares about the weather if you could eat this wonderful Pumpkin Bread. Right? Right. Enjoy! And have a lovely Sweet Sunday!

Pumpkin Bread

Servings: 1 loaf
Time: 1 hr and 15 min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

200 grams self raising flour
150 grams brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
Pinch of salt
200 ml sunflower oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
500 grams of pumpkin puree*
75 grams of raisins
75 grams of chopped walnuts

Preparation

Preheat the oven on 200°C. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, spices and a pinch of salt. In another bowl add eggs, sunflower oil, and vanilla. Beat this together. Then add the pumpkin puree and stir through. Add this mixture to the large bowl with the flour. Mix this thoroughly, so there are no more lumps of flour and all ingredients are incorporated in the dough. Proceed to mix in the raisins and walnuts.
Grease a bread tin with sunflower oil, or line it with baking foil (or both, just to be safe). Pour in the mixture, so it is evenly spread. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 60 minutes, until cooked through. You can check this by putting in a wooden stick which should come out clean. Otherwise leave it in the oven a bit longer.

* If you are unable (like myself) to buy pumpkin puree in your grocery store or even in your country – use an actual pumpkin. Leave the pumpkin in a 200°C oven for about 1,5 hours. When it is soft, peel off the skin and you can squash it with a fork. This takes some more preparation, but you do get a ridiculously soft and moist pumpkin puree.