Grandma Atha's Pumpkin Bread
This is the pumpkin bread I grew up with. My grandmother Atha Hardesty has been making this every year for the holidays for over 40 years.
This is the pumpkin bread I grew up with. My grandmother Atha Hardesty has been making this every year for the holidays for over 40 years.
- Carbohydrate 655.6975625 g
- Cholesterol 1057.5 mg
- Fat 95.544945 g
- Fiber 23.1773252446055 g
- Protein 62.9352375 g
- Saturated Fat 15.212685 g
- Serving Size 1 1 loave (1125g)
- Sodium 1235.1185 mg
- Sugar 632.520237255394 g
- Trans Fat 6.83052150000001 g
- Calories 3615 calories
Step-by-step
- Measure and sift together all the dry ingredients.
- Cream the sugar and eggs.
- Add the oil, pumpkin puree, and the raisins to the sugar/egg mix.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix.
- Add the nuts last.
- Fold everything together.
- Pour into 4 greased and floured (or "sprayed") one pound metal coffee cans. (This is the only way I know how to make the loaves of bread, although I am sure that one pound loaf pans would also work!)
- Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
- Cool for 5 minutes in the cans and then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Wrap with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Place in zipper bags in the freezer for long term storage.
Emulsifying Sugar and Eggs
The crust emerges dark amber and fragrant with cinnamon and nutmeg, while the interior crumb remains uniformly dense and moist. Success starts by properly creaming the sugar and eggs together. Sugar crystals mechanically shear into the egg proteins, creating microscopic air pockets. This aeration is necessary because pumpkin puree introduces substantial moisture and weight that can easily suppress a heavy batter. Whisking the oil in slowly after this creaming stage stabilizes the emulsion.
Integrating Dense Ingredients
Adding the dry ingredients gradually prevents gluten overdevelopment. Flour contains gliadin and glutenin proteins that form an elastic network when hydrated. Over-mixing toughens the crumb structure. Folding the dry components gently into the wet base just until streaks disappear retains tenderness. Walnuts or pecans and raisins should be folded in at the very end to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the batter.
Bake and Storage Control
Baking occurs at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour. Metal coffee cans distribute heat evenly throughout the thick cylindrical loaves. Cool the loaves in their vessels for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack. Wrapping the cooled bread in plastic allows moisture to redistribute evenly across the crumb during refrigeration for up to two weeks.
