Vermont Harvest Bread

OK, I admit it; when I was testing this recipe it was too soon to carve our Halloween pumpkin, so I faked it and used purchased pumpkin seeds. But I’m sure this will work with fresh pumpkin seeds; just wash them thoroughly, and roast them briefly in the oven, drizzling with a bit of olive oil, if you like. A touch of curry gives this bread a gentle kick; if you don’t like curry, just leave it out.

1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) cornmeal
1 cup (8 3/4 ounces) apple cider
3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup (1 5/8 ounces) olive oil*
3/4 cup (3 ounces) toasted pumpkin seeds, divided
1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) toasted walnuts
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
3 tablespoons (1 1/8 ounces) maple syrup

*Use flavored oil, if you like; I used roasted chili oil, and it was fantastic!
Manual/mixer method: Combine all of the ingredients (reserving 1/4 cup of the pumpkin seeds to use as topping) in a large mixing bowl and stir to form a cohesive dough. Knead the dough, by hand (on a lightly oiled work surface) or machine, for 5 to 8 minutes, until it's smooth and supple. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a proof cover, and allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour, or until it's puffy. Don’t worry about it doubling in bulk, because it probably won’t, unless your kitchen is a lot warmer than mine.

Bread machine method: Place all of the ingredients (except 1/4 cup of the pumpkin seeds, which you’ll use as topping) into the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer, program the machine for manual or dough, and press Start. About 7 minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle, check the dough’s consistency; it should have formed a smooth ball. Adjust its consistency with additional flour or water, as necessary. Allow the machine to complete its cycle.

Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Shape it into a round, or oval; or divide it into three pieces, and braid it. Brush the bread with a lightly beaten egg white, or (first choice) Quick Shine(tm), our favorite “seed sticker-oner”. Coat the bread with the remaining pumpkin seeds, brushing them with a layer of olive oil, if desired. Cover the loaf with a proof cover, or lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow it to rise for about an hour; again, it won’t rise much, but don’t worry, it has good oven spring (i.e., it’ll rise nicely while baking).

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 35 to 45 minutes, loosely tenting it with aluminum foil if it appears to be browning too quickly. When the loaf is done, its internal temperature will be 190°F. Remove the bread from the oven, and transfer it to a rack to cool. Yield: 1 loaf, about 16 servings.