Have you seen this joke making the rounds?  It seems like everything is pumpkin spice these days.

People tagged me on the post and sent it to me with messages like this:

After I was sent this picture no less than three times, I decided I would try to make pumpkin spice bread for communion.

Don’t worry, I ran the idea past the Pastor of my church first 🙂

I found a recipe on the King Arthur website, but I made a few additions and modifications.  I added food coloring to make the bread really orange, changed the recipe because I wanted the fresh ginger to be really smooth, and cinnamon just because.

You will need:

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin or squash

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

6 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons yeast

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cardamom

food coloring

1. Mix the milk and ginger together in a blender.  Then add the pumpkin and vegetable oil.  Make sure it is blended really well.

2. Mix together all the other ingredients except the flour.

3. I didn’t have any brown sugar (I never do) but I just mixed regular white sugar and molasses to make it.

4. Add the pureed milk, ginger and pumpkin mixture.

5. Add the flour.  You’ll use between 6 and 7 cups.  Just use enough to create a soft dough.  Knead until the gluten forms and it stops sticking to the sides of the bowl.

6. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

8. Divide into two loaves.  Since I’m using it for communion bread, I made one boule and one loaf.  Bake about 45 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Ideally I would’ve baked the boule for longer since it’s pretty light, but the internal temperature was right (190 degrees F) and we had to go somewhere.  They smell delicious!

I can’t wait for people in my church to try these!