Let’s add another no knead bread – Pumpkin no knead bread – to the collection, shall we? This no knead crusty loaf is baked in a Dutch oven and has pumpkin puree, fresh rosemary, and olive oil added to the loaf, with a sprinkling of sea salt on top. It’s a yeast bread that rises like other artisan loafs, and a delicious savory way to enjoy pumpkin, and comes out a gorgeous autumn yellow-orange color!
This time of year, pumpkin bread recipes abound. Usually these are in the form of a quick sweet bread, made with no yeast, with a cake-like result (like this chai spiced pumpkin bread).
This is not that kind of pumpkin bread. Instead, it’s a yeast bread, an artisan loaf that comes out crusty on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Perfect for serving with those autumn and winter soups and stews!
This is a variation of my Dutch Oven No Knead Bread – an easy, classic artisan loaf with a short rise time – with the addition of pumpkin puree, fresh rosemary, olive oil, and sea salt. You’ll love this easy pumpkin yeast bread loaf recipe!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- All Purpose Flour – bread flour can be used instead, and/or a partial substitute of whole wheat flour – more on that below.
- Yeast – active dry, instant, or rapid rise will all work. The only difference between them is how quickly they work to make the bread loaf rise – more on that below.
- Sea salt – you’ll need fine grain for the loaf itself and, if you have it, coarse sea salt flakes for topping.
- Pumpkin puree – the canned kind, NOT pumpkin pie filling, just plain puree. If you have plain butternut (or other) squash puree, that will also work, as long as it’s not too watery.
- Fresh Rosemary – dried will also work in a smaller quantity.
- Warm water – heated to 110 degrees F., give or take 5 degrees. It’s important to use an accurate temperature, as water that is too warm may kill the yeast and water that is too cool may not activate it. I use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the water is the correct temperature.
How to make Pumpkin No Knead Bread in a Dutch Oven
First, mix the dough. Mix warm water, yeast, pumpkin puree, salt, olive oil, and rosemary together until the yeast and salt are dissolved. Add the flour and mix until very well combined.
Then, place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover, and allow to rise until doubled in size, which will take about 2 hours (more on this below).
Finally, shape the dough, score, garnish, and bake! There are a few ways to do this. If you go to this post, you’ll find a tutorial for easy shaping using the parchment paper to flip it over.
Once it’s shaped, place it on a piece of parchment paper and, if you want, score the top in an “X” shape. Brush with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with extra rosemary as well as some flaky sea salt.
Place the loaf and the parchment paper into the Dutch oven (using the edges of the parchment paper to transfer it in) and bake covered, then uncover and bake for a few more minutes until nice and crusty and golden brown.
Now here’s the hard part: once it’s baked, for best results, you’ll need to cool it for about an hour on a cooling rack. Patience! If you cut into it too early, it may have a gummy texture, and will appear underdone.
Tips and Tricks
- The longer you mix, the more gluten will develop, which will help yield a loaf that has height and isn’t too dense. A standing mixer makes easy work of this! I usually let mine go for at least 3 minutes. You can do longer if you want.
- If you’re new to no knead bread baking, I recommend giving my traditional no knead Dutch oven bread post a read. There’s a lot more basic information in there that will be helpful!
- Pumpkin puree can vary in water content. The dough will be a bit sticky and loose. But if it’s soupy and can’t hold its shape, it likely means there is too much water. Just add a little more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until you get the consistency that seems right.
- The dough will take longer or shorter to rise depending on a few factors. Instant and rapid rise yeast will take a shorter time. Yeast thrives in a warm, humid environment, so if it’s in a cold drafty kitchen it may take much longer to rise. Here’s a great guide to the different types of yeast.
- I like to microwave a mug of water until it’s steaming, then place the mug and the bowl with the dough inside and close the door. It creates a nice humid and warm environment that hastens the rise of the dough.
- If the dough rises too much, it will overproof (meaning the yeast will run out of food to eat and start to die off) and the loaf may not turn out. So do keep an eye on the dough so it doesn’t rise past about double!
- If the dough doesn’t rise at all, it’s a yeast issue. Yeast is a living organism and if it’s a bad batch and already dead, it won’t work. You can also accidentally kill the yeast if the water is too hot, so make sure not to go over about 105 degrees F.
Using different types of flour
This recipe calls for all-purpose flour. I always use King Arthur. Different flours are sometimes “thirstier” than others, meaning they will more readily absorb moisture. Different flours also have different gluten contents, which can affect the loaf. Other brands may vary with both of these factors.
Bread flour has a higher gluten content and is a bit thirstier than all-purpose, meaning you’ll need a little less of it (or more water).
Whole wheat flour is also more absorbent than all purpose white flour. Whole wheat also has a lower gluten content and is denser, which often means a denser loaf of bread (especially in a no knead bread with a short rise time). If you want to use whole wheat flour, I recommend subbing out no more than 1 cup of the all purpose, so you have a mix of both.
Gluten free flour mixes might work here, but I haven’t tested it. Readers who have made my plain Dutch oven bread have said they’ve had success with it.
Almond flour, coconut flour, and other grain-free “flours” aren’t really flour at all and should not be used interchangeably for wheat flour in any recipe. You’ll need an entirely different recipe for those, specifically developed for that type of flour.
Other ingredients to add to Pumpkin no knead bread
I wanted to add Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) to this loaf but alas, I was out, and I didn’t feel like going to the store, haha! They’d be great added here, and/or other seeds like sunflower, flax, or chia.
Other herbs, in addition to or in place of the rosemary, would be great. Thyme, oregano, and sage are three that I would recommend experimenting with.
For a sweet version, I recommend making my No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread, made in much the same way, and swapping out a half cup of the water for 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree. Please note, I haven’t tried this, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work here!
Storing and freezing
This bread doesn’t last very long on the counter. I don’t recommend leaving it out for more than 24 hours. Beyond that, freeze it for best results. When you freeze, be sure the loaf has cooled completely. For convenience, pre-slice the loaf before freezing in an airtight bag, so you can get out a slice or two at a time as needed.
Other recipes to use up the other half of the can of pumpkin!
Soup recipes to serve with No Knead Pumpkin Rosemary Bread
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Pumpkin No Knead Bread with Rosemary and Olive Oil
Equipment
- Dutch Oven 4 or 6 quart in size
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water heated to 110 degrees F, give or take 5 degrees, see notes
- 1 packet yeast active dry, instant, or quick rise – one packet equals 2 ¼ teaspoons, see notes
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree see notes
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ tablespoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more as needed for greasing bowl and brushing top of loaf
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more if needed, see notes for other types of flour
- fresh rosemary leaves and flaky / coarse sea salt for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer), add the 1 cup warm water, 1 packet yeast, ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh rosemary, ½ tablespoon fine grain sea salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whisk or stir together until yeast and salt are fully dissolved.
- Add the 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour. Mix together thoroughly, until very well combined. If you have a standing mixer, I recommend mixing for a few (around 3-5) minutes (this will allow the gluten to develop more).
- Cover the bowl (with a damp towel or plastic wrap) and allow to rise for approximately 2 hours, or until doubled in size (see notes for more on this).
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface, being careful not to "smush" the dough too much to maintain the air pockets from rising, to shape into a loaf. This can be done a few ways – if you are unfamiliar with shaping no knead bread dough, I recommend using the tutorial from this traditional no knead loaf, which uses the parchment paper as an aid for easy shaping.
- Place the loaf on top of a piece of parchment paper, if it's not already. Add a little bit of olive oil to the top of the loaf using a brush or your hands, gently. You can optionally score the loaf at this point using a sharp knife in an "X" shape. Sprinkle some fresh rosemary leaves and flaky / coarse sea salt on top of the loaf.
- Using the edges of the parchment paper to help, transfer the loaf and the parchment paper to a Dutch oven (as an optional step, you can preheat the Dutch oven before this, see notes for more). Place the cover on the Dutch oven and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until crust is a golden brown color.
- Transfer the loaf to a cooling rack. Ideally, allow the loaf to cool for at least an hour before slicing into it (this is the hardest part!). Cut into 8 slices (or however many you want) and serve.
Notes
- It’s important to heat the water precisely to about 110 degrees F. The warm water will help activate the yeast and enable the bread dough to rise. But if it’s too hot, it could kill the yeast (which is a living organism) and the dough won’t rise. I usually microwave the water for about 45 seconds on high, then use a meat thermometer to check. I love the Thermoworks Thermapen for checking temperatures, since it’s incredibly fast and accurate! It’s a worthy investment for your kitchen.
- The type of yeast you use will affect rise time. As the names suggest, rapid and instant yeast will take a shorter amount of time to rise.
- Keep on eye on the rise of the dough, regardless of the type of yeast used. Yeast thrives in a warm, humid environment. If your kitchen is cold and drafty, the dough may take longer to rise. If it’s hot and humid, it will take a much shorter time. You don’t want the dough to rise much past doubled, otherwise you run the risk of the dough over-proofing, which essentially means the yeast has run out of food to eat and begins to die off, making the dough deflate.
- To make the dough rise faster, place it in a warm, humid environment. My favorite way to do this is to microwave a mugful of water until it’s steaming, then place the covered bowl of dough along with the steaming mug in the microwave and close the door. This will trap the heat and humidity in and cause the dough to rise much faster.
- Different flours can absorb water differently, depending on the type and amount of gluten in them. I use King Arthur All-Purpose Flour exclusively. Other brands and types may yield different results. Bread flour absorbs water more easily, so you’ll need less of it (or more water) in the mix. Whole wheat four has much less gluten and is denser and heavier, as well as more absorbent, which can make it hard to work with. If you want to use whole wheat flour, I recommend subbing out no more than 1 cup of the all purpose flour for a mix of the two, especially if you’re new to working with whole wheat. Almond flour or other non-grain flours should never be substituted for wheat flour in any recipe; they’re completely different. Gluten free flour might work; while I haven’t tested it myself, some readers have contacted me to let me know that it works, so feel free to experiment with that if you want!
- Pumpkin puree can sometimes be more watery depending on brand. This means the dough may need a little more flour. If it’s not coming together – as in, it’s more soupy than dough-ey – add a little more flour a couple tablespoons at a time when mixing together until it’s the correct consistency.
- If you’re new to no knead bread baking in a Dutch oven, I recommend reading through this recipe post for traditional no knead bread, which is a much more comprehensive guide.
- To store the leftovers, you can leave this bread out for about 24 hours. Beyond that, I recommend freezing it in an airtight bag. Do make sure you allow it to cool completely before freezing. For convenience, you can pre-slice it, so it’s easy to grab a slice or two as needed from the freezer to defrost.
- Other ingredients you can add: feel free to add seeds, such as pepitas/pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and/or chia seeds. Other herbs like oregano, thyme, or sage may be used in addition to or instead of rosemary. If you want a sweet pumpkin no knead bread, you may want to follow this recipe for cinnamon raisin no knead bread and substitute 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree for 1/2 cup of the water.
- Preheating your Dutch oven may help the loaf get a bit taller while it bakes. To do this, place your Dutch oven, covered, in the oven while it preheats, getting it nice and hot. Then place the parchment paper and loaf in the hot Dutch oven to bake as directed. If you do this, be VERY CAREFUL, as the Dutch oven will be very hot!! It’s easy to forget that it’s preheated. Be sure to wear oven mitts when handling it. I used to do this all the time, but lately I’ve been skipping this step to make it easier, still with great results.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Alexandra
I was super excited about this bread and I followed everything as closely as possible and when I took it out of the rise bowl onto the parchment paper it looked kinda flat. In the oven it didn’t get much better and it didn’t rise well even though it did rise during the rise period. So sad.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Aw, bummer! So, this is kind of the nature of no knead bread. One day you can get a nice tall loaf, the next a flatter one. It’s a bit more finicky in that regard because it lacks gluten strength, which is traditionally developed through kneading. This no knead bread has even less because of its short rise time (a small price to pay, in my opinion, for a quicker loaf, but other no knead bread recipes use 1/4 teaspoon of yeast and allow for an overnight rise to help develop gluten strength with more time – still not as much as traditional kneading though!).
Anyway, sometimes I make this bread and STILL get a flatter loaf but it does get easier to get a more consistent result with practice. A lot of it has to do with how much the dough is handled during shaping and removal from the bowl. If it’s smushed around, the air pockets deflate, which can cause a flatter loaf. This is likely what happened for you.
Here’s my advice for next time:
1) Stir for a longer time to mix the ingredients together. This will help develop a bit more gluten. You can use a standing mixer to make easy work of this.
2) It’s possible your dough needed a little more flour or a brand that had more gluten. King Arthur All Purpose flour is very reliable in this way. Bread flour has more gluten than AP flour, if you want to try that route (you will need a little bit more water in this case – not too much, but bread flour will absorb it a bit more).
3) When you shape the dough and remove it from the bowl, try your hardest not to smush it too much. A shallower, rather than deep, bowl can help with easier removal, as well as using a spatula to help get it out instead of your hands.
One more thing – if it didn’t rise at all while it was baking, it’s possible the dough overproofed (rose, then stopped rising and deflated). To prevent this, allow it to rise to double and not more, which may take different amounts of time depending on the temperature and humidity of the surrounding environment and the type of yeast used.
Hope that helps!
Alexandra Barreto
Thank you so much for your reply. I am going to try these things out and see how it turns out.
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’m excited to hear how it works out for you, please report back if you have a moment! :-)