Rustic Pumpkin Spice Artisanal Bread

Imagine the warm, earthy aroma of artisanal bread baking on a cool, cri
sp, Autumn day. Add the rich, slow-simmered cinnamon scent of Bonne Maman Pumpkin Spice Butter folded directly into an artisanal dough, and the kitchen instantly transforms into a cozy fall bakery.

This isn't an overly sweet dessert loaf or a quick bread disguised as a cake—it is an authentic, rustic yeast bread. It delivers that ideal golden, crackly crust with a tender, moist interior that feels deeply decadent without being heavy.

 

And it’s too cute not to make!

Shaping the dough into mini pumpkin rolls using butcher's twine takes minimal effort but creates a handheld serving that will make everyone smile.

Rustic Pumpkin Spice Artisanal Bread

½ cup lukewarm water
1 ½ tsp. granulated yeast (active dry, instant, quick rise, or bread machine is fine)
1 ½ sp. kosher salt
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 jar Bonne Maman Pumpkin Spice Spread

 

Warm the water just a little so that it feels just slightly warmer than body temperature. In the large bowl of a standing mixer or a 6-quart container with a lid, mix the yeast, warm water, and salt. 

Don’t worry about getting the yeast to dissolve. Add the flour all at once, then use a spoon or stand mixer to mix until the flour is completely incorporated.

 

Mix in the Pumpkin Spice Spread until fully incorporated.

 

Don’t knead the dough! It’s not necessary. You just want the dough to be uniformly wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container. All you need to do is be certain that there are no dry patches of flour.

 

Loosely cover the container and let the dough hang out at room temperature until it begins to rise and collapse or at least flatten a little on the top, about 2 hours. 

 

Relax. It’s bread dough, not a newborn. You don’t need to monitor it constantly. And don’t worry about the dough being precisely double or triple its original volume as you would with a traditional bread recipe. Just walk away, go about your business, and come back in 2 hours. Seriously.

 

After the 1-2-hour rise, punch down the dough and divide evenly into 4-6 smaller balls.

Take a piece of kitchen twine and center it under each dough ball. Wrap the string around the ball three times (crossing at the bottom each time) to divide the dough into six equal lobes—like the ribs of a pumpkin.

Tie loosely at the top! Leave room for the dough to expand during the second rise and baking.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly space the pumpkin rolls atop.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

After about 30-45 minutes (you want the oven hot!), bake the pumpkin rolls for 22-25 minutes, until just beginning to brown on top.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting and discarding the twine.

Press an apple stem, pretzel stick, or part of a cinnamon stick into the center of each roll to resemble a pumpkin stem.

Too cute and too seasonal not to make!

Slather with butter to fully enjoy!