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Pain au Potiron (Peppery Pumpkin and Olive Oil Loaf)

A home-style Pain au Potiron (Peppery Pumpkin and Olive Oil Loaf) made with Whole Wheat Flour, Unbleached All Purpose Flour, Granulated Yeast, Kosher Salt, and Vital Wheat Gluten. Serves 80. Scale it up or down for the number of people at the table.

Ingredients

• 3 3/4 cup
• 3 1/2 cup
• 1 1/2 tbsp
• 1 tbsp
• 2 tbsp
• 3 1/2 cup
• 1/4 cup
• 1 1/4 cup

Method (preview)

1. 1

   Mixing and storing the dough: Whisk together the flours, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

2. 2

   Generously season the pumpkin, squash, or sweet potato with fresh-ground pepper.

3. 3

   Add the liquid ingredients and the seasoned pumpkin to the dry ingredients.

4. 4

   Mix without kneading using a spoon until it comes together in a wet dough.

5. 5

   Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), about 2 hours.

6. 6

   Do not punch down!

7. 7

   Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 10 days.

8. 8

   On baking day, dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece.

9. 9

   Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.

10. 10

    Elongate the ball into a narrow oval.

11. 11

    Thirty minutes before baking, preheat a baking stone in the middle of the oven to 450F, with a broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with rising bread.

12. 12

    Using a pastry brush, paint the top crust with water. Slash with 1/4" deep parallel cuts across the loaf, using a serrated bread knife.

13. 13

    Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone.

14. 14

    Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door.

15. 15

    Bake for about 30 minutes, until richly browned and firm.

16. 16

    Allow to cool on a rack before slicing and eating.

17. 17

    "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day"

18. 18

    Meat; 0 Fat.

19. 19

    Dice the raw pumpkin small so that it will cook through during the baking time.