Pumpkin Bread & the Year the Pumpkins Outsmarted Us
Every year as Thanksgiving rolls around, I find myself thinking about pumpkins — not the imported canned kind that send half of Israel into a seasonal scavenger hunt, but the real, heavy, sun-grown ones that remind you food starts as a seed long before it becomes a pie, soup, or loaf.
One year, full of optimism, we decided to grow our own. The backyard had space, the soil was willing, and we thought, why not let the garden take the lead this time? And take the lead it did. Those vines exploded with confidence, sprawling across every inch of earth they could reach. Huge emerald leaves unfurled like they owned the place. The blossoms were magnificent — bright, theatrical, and plentiful enough to keep our bees in a state of absolute bliss.
We watched them buzzing around the blossoms and thought we were on the road to homegrown glory. Except… not a single pumpkin appeared.
We hovered. We waited. We admired the foliage from every angle. Still nothing.
Eventually, we discovered what experienced growers already know: pumpkin plants have separate male and female flowers, and they don’t always cooperate by blooming at the same time of day. Pollination becomes a bit of a scheduling issue. The bees did their best, but even they can’t be in two blossoms at once. So, our vines remained all promise and no pumpkins — an excellent lesson in botany, pollination timing, and humility.
Still, that year taught us to appreciate pumpkin in all its forms, whether it’s grown with our own hands or found at the market. And every time I roast pumpkin for this bread I think back to those glorious vines and the bees darting through the blossoms like tiny golden professionals.
Pumpkin Challah: A Seasonal Favourite
This recipe is a fun twist — soft, and rich with colour. The pumpkin adds tenderness, the honey gives a warm depth, and the seed toppings make each loaf feel festive. It’s versatile too: you can braid it, bake it in pans, or shape it into pumpkins using kitchen twine for a charming holiday centrepiece.
It’s the kind of bread that feels right for Thanksgiving, whether you’re celebrating with a crowd, marking the day quietly, or simply welcoming autumn with something warm in the kitchen. And if you happen to have grown your own pumpkins — successfully or otherwise — it tastes even better. 
Pumpkin “Pull-Aparts”
You will need – about 2 days, and the following:
- 280g “honey” water**
- 3g dry yeast
- 110g olive oil
- 15g kosher salt
- 30-50g honey
- 200g pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- 20g flax meal
- 150g AP flour +
- Up to an additional 1.7kg white and WW flour mix
- 30g pumpkin seeds
- Misc. “seed” toppings of choice, e.g. poppy, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower…
Engage the Process… Phase 1
- In your kneading bowl, add 150g flour, yeast, and 280g tepid water. Stir. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. It should become foamy and jiggly.
- Add salt and olive oil and mix.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients, including pumpkin puree and mix well.
- Add pumpkin seeds.
- Begin adding the additional flour a scoop at a time and start kneading. How much flour you add will depend on many factors. Keep track.
- Continue adding flour until you achieve a “gluten window”
- Scrape sides and bottom of bowl thoroughly and form dough into a ball.
- Continue adding flour until you achieve a “gluten window”
- Cover and allow to rise until double in bulk. Overnight in the fridge works well.…Time Passes…
Phase 2 – Are we there yet? No, not yet.
- Punch down dough and scrape onto a lightly oiled surface. Allow to rest approx. 5 minutes.
- “Take challah” if you’ve used enough flour. We recommend following the guidance provided by torahland.org or your local authorities.
- Form dough into desired shapes- in this case- pumpkins*, but this dough can certainly be braided, twisted, or just placed in bread pans.
- Cover and let rise an additional 30 minutes
Phase – I’ve lost count – Oh, it’s Phase 3
- Brush risen loaves with beaten egg or water and sprinkle on seeds of choice (optional).
- Bake at 180c for 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your loaves. Begin checking at 20 minutes. Loaves should sound slightly hollow when tapped, but don’t go longer than 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool 1 hour.
*How to make Pumpkin-shaped loaves
Each loaf requires 3-4 pieces of cotton twine approx. 30-50cm long
- Lay out a piece of twine, lay the 2nd piece across the first and the third across the 2nd, etc.
- Place a dough ball where the twine intersects in the centre.
- Tie the opposite ends over the top.
- Allow to rise approx. 30 minutes.
- Strings may be removed after loaves are baked and cooled. If you’ve made small-to-mid-sized loaves, the strings make excellent pull-apart points.
** Honey Water?!
Yes, we’re a bit spoiled and you can be, too! When your honey jar is pretty much empty fill it halfway (optimist alert) with water, shake well, and leave in the refrigerator or freezer until needed.
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