Pumpkin Five-Nuts Bread

Materials ready: Steam the pumpkin in advance, mash it, and store it in the refrigerator before use.

Put all ingredients except butter into the mixing bowl. The amount of liquid should be adjusted according to the water absorption of the flour, the moisture content of the pumpkin puree, the thickness of the milk and cream, and the humidity of the working environment; the dough should be able to stretch into a coarse film.

Add the softened butter, first mix at low speed to fully incorporate the butter into the dough, then switch to high speed.

The dough is soft and delicate, not sticking to the bowl or hands. When you pinch off a piece, it can stretch into a thin, transparent, and elastic membrane.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it ferment in a warm and humid place, with the temperature not exceeding 28 degrees.

Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, then dip your finger in flour and poke a hole in the top of the dough; it should not collapse or shrink back.

Pour the dough onto the workbench, gently pat to release the air, divide it into 6 equal portions, shape into balls, cover the bowl, and let it rest for about 15 minutes.

Divide the mooncake five-nut filling into portions of 40 grams each, and roll them into balls for later use.

Check whether the dough has relaxed properly by pressing it with your fingers; if the indentation does not spring back, you can proceed. Flatten the dough and place the filling ball on top of it.

Bring the edges of the dough together toward the center and pinch the opening tightly.

Place it seam-side down in a Hexagon mold from Fabake, gently press the surface downward with your fingers or palm to make the filling spread horizontally; place in a warm and humid environment for the second fermentation; I put it in the oven at 35 degrees, spray water to increase humidity, for 30 minutes.

Brush the surface of the bread dough, which has been raised to 1.5-2 times its original size, with egg wash and sprinkle some raw pumpkin seeds; preheat the oven to 185 degrees.

Place it in the middle layer of the preheated oven, bake at 185°C with both top and bottom heat for 20 minutes; if the color is satisfactory halfway through, you can cover it with aluminum foil.

Remove from the mold immediately after baking, and after cooling, store in a bag or a box.

Pumpkin Five-Nuts Bread, rich in milky aroma, sweet and soft!