The directions for this savory pumpkin bread appear long and scary, but they're really not. I just wanted to be as explicit as possible so you will know exactly what to expect. I ended up with 50 oz (49.7 oz) of dough and ended up with 3 loaves of just about a pound each. If you make rolls, figure 3 oz per for a yield of a baker's dozen. 2 oz each, and you'll have about 2 dozen.
10ozroasted pumpkin puree(I used my own. You can also use canned)
4ozbutter, melted and cooled to warm1 stick
26ozbread flour(I highly recommend King Arthur)
2 ½teaspoonsactive dry yeast(you can use Rapid Rise, too)
2 ½teaspoonskosher salt
1Tablespooneach minced sage and rosemary
1teaspoondried poultry seasoning
7-9ozslightly warm water
For the Design, if you want to do what I did
1egg yolk combined with 1/2 teaspoon water
9sage leaves
½cupbread flour
For Baking
2-3ice cubes per loaf
Instructions
In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the pumpkin and butter.
In another large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients, including the minced herbs.
Dump the dry ingredients onto the pumpkin mixture.
Add about 6 oz (3/4 cup) water to the bowl, fit your mixer with the dough hook, and mix for a good 3-4 minutes until there is no loose flour in the bowl and the dough is starting to come together. Remember, we want a really slack dough, almost more of a very thick batter (think about the consistency of pate a choux, but sproingier because of the gluten formation).
Add another 2 Tablespoons (1 oz) of water and mix (again with the dough hook) for another couple of minutes until the water is all absorbed into the dough. Things should be sticking quite nicely in the bottom of the bowl by now.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and watch it for a minute or so. Lots of times, dough that sticks at lower kneading speeds magically clears the bowl at higher speeds. You should still have a ton of sticking in the bottom. If not, add another tablespoon (two, if necessary) of water and keep going.
Once the dough is nice and slack, knead for ten minutes. You'll still have a bunch of dough stuck in the bowl, but some of it will also have climbed up the dough hook. Oil your fingers and stretch out a bit of the dough. If it stretches farther than it looks like it should, you're done.
If your mixer bowl holds at least five quarts, you can let the dough rise right in your bowl. If your mixer is smaller, you'll have to let it rise in a different bowl.
Use a bowl scraper to gather the dough into a ball at the bottom of the mixer bowl, or scrape it all out into another large, oiled bowl. With oiled hands, tuck the edges in and try to pull the top of the ball a little bit taut.
Realize that all is going well, even if you're a little sweaty and unsure. Spray the top of the dough with some cooking spray or oil and cover the bowl with some plastic wrap.
Heat up some water to boiling in the microwave. Move the mug to one corner of the microwave, add your covered bowl and shut the door. Let the dough proof for 1 1/2-2 hours. The dough will be up to the top of your bowl by then.
Oil your hand, or a large silicone spatula, and press out the gases pretty thoroughly. Fold the dough over a couple of times to redistribute the yeast, then, form it into a rough ball again. Spray or brush oil on the top of the dough, Cover and let rise again for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until again doubled or even tripled.
Preheat the oven to 425F and put a baking stone on a rack in the bottom third of the oven.
Put a cake pan on the rack under the baking stone.
Cut 3 squares of parchment and spray each with a bit of cooking spray.
Oil your counter lightly. With oiled hands or an oiled bowl scraper, splorch the dough out onto the counter. Be gentle. At this point, you don't want to press out much of the air if you can help it.
Cut the dough into three equal pieces (I weighed mine. I won't tell if you just want to eyeball it. Give your friend the smaller loaf and keep the bigger ones for yourself).
With oiled hands, form each piece into a rough round, gathering the excess dough underneath to keep the top somewhat taut. Place each rough round, gathered side down, on its own piece of parchment on a rimless cookie sheet, cookie shovel or pizza peel.
Brush the back of a sage leaf with your egg yolk glue. Press it gently into place. Keep gluing and placing until you have 3 sage leaves glued onto each loaf.
Liberally sprinkle flour all over the top of the loaves. Cover each loaf with plastic wrap and let sit out until puffy, about 30 minutes. The design on your bread won't be as defined now.
Put two of the loaves in the fridge. Take the remaining loaf and sprinkle some extra flour right over the leaves.
Take a pastry brush and gently brush off a fair amount of the flour. Make sure to brush any off the parchment, because it will burn in the oven.
Carefully peel the sage leaves off.
Slide the loaf, parchment and all, onto the hot baking stone.
Toss 2-3 ice cubes into the cake pan underneath and quickly close the oven.
Bring the second loaf out of the fridge to sit at room temperature while this loaf bakes.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature is right around 200F (195-205F is fine).
Remove loaf to a rack to cool.
Repeat with the second loaf, bringing the third out of the fridge when that one goes in the oven.
Cool the loaves to room temperature. Enjoy within a day or two. To keep longer, put in a freezer bag and suck out the air with a straw before sealing it. Freeze for up to a month. Thaw in the sealed bag until the loaf reaches room temperature.
Notes
You can also form these into dinner rolls. Scale them out at about 2-3 oz apiece, shape all into balls and bake together with the sides almost touching.