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October 2018: Squash + Maple + Walnut Loaf

Ashley Look

Full Moon Baking Club’s October 2018 bread: Squash + Maple + Walnut Loaf

Sorry for the delay! It took a whole month for me to get this posted here but I promise to do better moving forward. My goal is to have the recipe posted before the coming new moon, giving ample time for all to get their bake on! It also gives me a deadline to work towards. The Full Moon Baking Club is part baking creativity and part time tracking. It’s all in effort to account for the slipping of time. And slip it does!!! Most days I have no idea where time goes but at least this monthly infusion of bread baking will hold a mirror up to the hours.

I also want to thank those of you that joined me. I loved seeing your breads and breaking them with you!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup squash puree (I used roasted buttercup squash but can pumpkin can replace fresh squash.)
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tsp. active dry yeast
  • 4 cups flour (and more for dusting)
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the squash, maple syrup, and yeast.
  2. Add the flour, salt, water and walnuts.
  3. Mix to combine so the dough starts to come together.
  4. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead the dough untils its smooth and well formed (Could take 10 or so minutes.)
  5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour.
  6. After the first rise, knead the dough again on a floured surface and then place it into an oiled loaf pan.
  7. Cover and let rise for another hour.
  8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
  9. Bake for 35-45 minutes and then cool on a wire rack.

Freshly baked and sliced Squash + Maple + Walnut Loaf from the 2018 October launch of the Full Moon Baking Club.

Disclaimer:

Here’s the thing about homemade bread… It’s great fresh from the oven. Seriously, nothing compares. But later in the week it tends to lose its appeal. The hack for that is heat! You can wrap it in foil with a sprinkle of water and the heat plus moisture will help revive that freshness. Or you can do what I typically do which is make lots of grilled cheese type sandwiches, panzanella salads, and eggs-in-a-hole. There’s nothing like a hot skillet to bring dead bread back to life!

See you soon!

PS- If you are playing Winter Squash Bingo then I feel it’s important to share I used this recipe for #how2ButtercupSquash. ;)