Looking for a savory recipe with Pumpkin or something different from that pumpkin spice mix? Then try this Pumpkin Nasturtium Cheese Bread or a pull-apart pumpkin herb bread.
This pumpkin bread is a savory bread bursting with peppery, tangy, garlicky flavors from nasturtium. It has a slight spice kick from paprika and does not taste sweet at all.
This bread goes well as breakfast bread or is best as a meal along with some soup. It can be served for your thanksgiving table or could be packed for your picnic.
I came to the idea of making savory pumpkin bread as I did not want to make the usual sweet bread or the all-spice or pumpkin spice bread. Most of the recipes call for it. I was looking for some savory goodness.
However, if you are looking for sweet pumpkin bread, try this Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bundt Cake, which has delicious fall flavors.
My kids love cheese and recently my son has got hooked on pestos in bread and pizza. So I thought to add some similar taste.
Variety of Pumpkin Used
I am using the Uchiki Kuri Pumpkin variety here, but any pumpkin variety can be used. Did you try this delicious Pumpkin Chickpeas Kale Curry made from this Red Kuri Squash?
I have used my fresh harvest of Pumpkin as well as Nasturtium from my garden. Yes, this year I did grew pumpkin and I am super happy. Though I just got 4 pumpkins from 4 plants, I am super proud to grow such a fruit.
Pumpkin Puree
I am making use of fresh homemade pumpkin puree. Check this post on how easy it is to make pumpkin puree in Instant Pot, Stove top pressure cooker, or in the oven. However one can use store-bought pumpkin puree too.
What is Nasturtium?
Nasturtium is a delicious herb to grow and the whole plant is edible. Leaves, seeds, flowers, and stems. I love to use this herb as it is believed to be packed with Vitamin C and helps improve your immune system.
Recipes with Nasturtium
I make this Nasturtium Leaves & Stems Raita (Yogurt Dip) or this Eggless Nasturtium Greens Sandwich Bread (Tangzhong Method) from the leaves and the stems. From the blossoms, I love giving a twist to the usual guacamole by making this Nasturtium Blossoms Avocado Guacamole and this Instant Pot Nasturtium Grapefruit Marmalade which stores well for more than a year, if you are able to store that long 🙂
Lastly, with the seeds, I make this tangy, peppery Pickled Nasturtium Seeds which goes perfectly on salads, in sandwiches, or just as is as a pickle.
Replacement for Nasturtium
I understand that not all would have this herb. One can replace it with any green leafy vegetable or skip it completely as I have done in another loaf.
Recipe process of Pumpkin Nasturtium Cheese Bread
The first step in making this Pumpkin Nasturtium Cheese Bread is making the dough with pumpkin puree, flour, water, milk, smoked paprika, and yeast.
Let the dough prove and then we roll the dough. I then spread a puree of nasturtium leaves and garlic. Go easy on the nasturtium mixture as nasturtium has a strong flavor and it might overpower. I then generously spread a mixture of cheddar cheese on this.
If you do not want to use any greens, simply layer it with cheddar cheese and follow the remaining process.
If you want to skip cheese too, one can do the same. In that case, shape the dough in the form of a loaf and let it rise in a greased loaf tin. Bake as mentioned in the recipe below.
I wanted to make a pull-apart cheese bread from this and hence I cut the dough into small rectangular strips. It is ideally a pull-apart Pumpkin Nasturtium Cheese Bread, but I was in a little hurry to click the pics and hence could not justify that it was completely pull-apart. But when I was eating this the next day for my breakfast, I could pull the layers, so I am happy with the results.
I then layer each of the pieces above the others in a random fashion. This is then placed in a greased loaf tin and allowed to rise again.
Shelf life of this bread
This bread should stay good for 2-3 days at normal room temperature. If you are in a hot and humid climate it is best to refrigerate this bread as this has cheese in it.
Can we freeze this bread?
Yes, this bread can be frozen. Slice and freeze the bread. When required, defrost and warm in a microwave or a stovetop.
Pin it for later –
Pumpkin Nasturtium Cheese Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
Yeast Mixture
- ½ Cup Lukewarm Water
- ½ Cup Lukewarm Milk – Can be replaced with water or vegans can replace it with vegan milk
- 7 grams of Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
Dough Mixture
- 4 cup – 500 grams – Whole Wheat Flour – Can be replaced with All Purpose or Plain Flour
- ¾ Cup – 200 grams – Pumpkin Puree
- 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika Powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ Cup – 1 cup Lukewarm milk
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
Nasturtium Herb Mixture – For the stuffing
- 2 cup Nasturtium leaves
- 2 large garlic cloves
Other Ingredients
- 1 Cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
Activating the yeast
- In a bowl add the yeast mixture and let it rest for 10 minutes.½ Cup Lukewarm Water, ½ Cup Lukewarm Milk – Can be replaced with water, 7 grams of Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast, 1 teaspoon Sugar
- After 10 minutes the yeast mixture would be proofed.
Nasturtium Herb Mixture – For the stuffing
- Clean and rinse the nasturtium leaves well.2 cup Nasturtium leaves
- Tap it dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- In a blender or a food processor, puree it along with garlic.2 large garlic cloves
Making of the dough
- In a bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl add in the flour, salt, pumpkin puree, and smoked paprika powder.4 cup – 500 grams – Whole Wheat Flour – Can be replaced with All Purpose or Plain Flour, ¾ Cup – 200 grams – Pumpkin Puree, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika Powder
- Give it a nice mix.
- Add in the yeast mixture and knead the dough on low until well incorporated.
- You would need to add the additional water, add this slowly.
- Do not add all the water in one go, add half a cup initially and add the remaining only if required.¾ Cup – 1 cup Lukewarm milk
- Flour has different absorption capacities depending on the flour type.
- I used ¾ cup more water to get a dough that is smooth and not hard.
- Slowly add the oil and knead the dough on high for 5-6 minutes until the dough starts coming altogether and has an elastic texture.2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- If kneaded by hand this would take around 8-10 minutes.
- Once done, oil the bowl and let the dough rise for 1-1.5 hours or until double.
Shaping and filling the Pumpkin Nasturtium Cheese Bread
- Once the dough is double in size, knead the dough again with your hand to release all the air.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.
- Dust your working surface with some flour.
- Roll one piece of dough thinly around ½ a cm in width.
- Roll roughly in rectangular shape.
- Spread the nasturtium and garlic mixture on the rolled dough.
- Go easy on the nasturtium mixture as nasturtium has a strong flavor and it might overpower.
- If not using any greens, go to the next step.
- Spread the grated cheddar cheese all over the dough, spreading it evenly.1 Cup grated cheddar cheese
- Slightly dab it with your hand or using a spoon.
- Cut the dough into small rectangles.
- Grab each of the rectangular bread and make a stack of it.
- At one point make a stack of 4-5 rectangular pieces of bread.
- Arrange the stacks in an oiled loaf tin.
- Once you have filled the loaf, cover it and let it rise for 1-1.5 hours until the bread has risen slightly.
Baking the Bread
- Preheat the oven to 180 Deg C or 350 Deg F.
- Lightly brush the top with some milk. This step is optional but adds a golden colour to the top crust.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 minutes.
- You might see that the bread might appear slightly wet after 35 minutes or so due to the cheese melting.
- It would be good once the bread has been completely baked.
- Let the bread cool down completely before cutting.
- Slice or tear the bread and enjoy.
Notes
- Standard US Size cups and spoons are used. 1 cup = 237 ml, 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
- Oven temperatures vary. Keep an eye on the bread after 35-40 minutes.
- Read above for replacements.
Sharing this with
I am sharing this bread with our Bread Bakers group where Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm asked us to bake a bread that celebrates Harvest Festival
Do check out the different harvest bread from my dear blogger friends
- Broccoli & Oats Sandwich Bread – Gluten Free by Sneha’s Recipe
- Cheddar Spinach Quick Bread by Food Lust People Love
- Cranberry Orange Beet Bread by Palatable Pastime
- Honeyed Spelt and Oat Levain by A Messy Kitchen
- Pomegranate and Blueberry Jam Milk Buns by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Pumpkin Nasturtium Pull Apart Bread by Cook with Renu
- Sweet Potato and Cranberry Quick Bread by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Winter Squash Sourdough Boules by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
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Kelly
Wednesday 9th of November 2022
This looks amazing! I've had nasturtium blossoms, but never the greens.
Sneha Datar
Wednesday 9th of November 2022
Never seen the use of this flower in bread, looks so good!
Renu Agrawal Dongre
Thursday 10th of November 2022
I have not used flowers in this recipe, but greens.
Karen @karenskitchenstories
Tuesday 8th of November 2022
I love baking stacked loaves like this one. So beautiful!
Stacy
Tuesday 8th of November 2022
You really took the harvest theme to a new level by growing your own ingredients, Renu! Your loaf is fabulous and, as Wendy says, it wouldn't last a day in my house.
Wendy Klik
Tuesday 8th of November 2022
I don't know why you bothered letting us know about the shelf life. This bread wouldn't last an hour in this household. OH MY YUM!!!!!
Renu Agrawal Dongre
Tuesday 8th of November 2022
That's true Wendy :-). Thank You