Caramel Pumpkin Butter Stuffed Bread

This lightly sweet braided bread is stuffed with caramel pumpkin butter and makes a terrific addition to a brunch or served with morning coffee or tea.

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I'll get to the recipe in a moment, but first I've got something else on my mind. I'm sharing this photo of the dogs for 2 reasons. First, I want to remind at least 3 people who've been thinking they ought to take a bag down to their local food drive to JUST DO IT. If 1 out of 3 people follows through, that'd be terrific. Second, I post this to illustrate the fact that despite holiday food drives THERE ARE HUNGRY PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR. Scroll below the recipe for ways you can reduce hunger in your town.

I served this bread to my extended family last Christmas, which is why you see a coffee pot and a cup of coffee. I'm a tea drinker so normally that's my prop. We crammed so many meals into the days together that I don't know if it was a morning nibble or with an actual breakfast meal, but this bread works well in both occasions. I made it by combining 2 of my previously published recipes, so I've linked to those below. However, if you've got a favorite enriched sweet dough (meaning there's an egg in there, like a challah or brioche dough) and a jar of the pumpkin butter of your choice, go to town with this recipe with what you've got. I'd bet apple butter, or cranberry butter, or a mixed fruit butter would be delightful.

Caramel Pumpkin Butter Stuffed Bread (makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients

• unbleached all purpose flour, for flouring the board
• ⅓ batch of enriched sweetened bread dough (I used my Finnish Pulla dough)
• ½ cup Caramel Pumpkin Butter (or the thick pumpkin butter of your choice)
• 1 egg
• coarse sugar for sprinkling on top (see this for ideas)

Instructions

1. On a floured sheet of parchment paper, divide dough into thirds.
2. Roll each third into a 12 inch long strip and flatten it out as shown.  Spread Caramel Pumpkin Butter across each strip. Roll up each strip into a tube.
3. Braid the tubes together, pinching the ends together and tucking under.  
4. Cover loosely and let rise for 30 minutes [I use the bread proof setting of my oven for this]. 
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Brush loaf with beaten egg [one large egg will cover 4-5 loaves] then sprinkle with coarse sugar.  
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.  
7. Cool on a rack before slicing. 

Here are 3 simple ways you can help reduce hunger in your town.

Ok, technically that's 4, and if you add in voting it's really 5.

1. Find a food bank, food pantry, or soup kitchen that is convenient to your home, school, or work. Check the days/hours they accept donations and ask if they accept perishable fresh or frozen food.

Click here to find a food bank convenient to you.

2. Shop sales. When you see something that is Buy 1 Get 1 Free, pick up 2 and set aside the 'free' item for the food bank. If something is a special lower price when you buy a certain amount (I see this often with cereal) buy what is required to get the best deal and set aside what you don't need for the food bank. Make it a game with your kids--what's the most amount of food we can buy for $10? For $15? For $25?

3. Set a reminder on your calendar to drop off your accumulated food once a month. Make it a habit, a part of your routine.

And a bonus tip--VOTE for politicians who don't want to decrease federal funding for feeding programs. Even though there are all those barrels collecting donated food in November and December, people need to eat year round. Our donations during holiday food drives don't cut it. For every $24 spent to feed hungry people in America, $23 comes from the federal government (source). It's just mean to deny a child a meal. Don't be a meanie.