gas•tron•o•my

Dense, moist, and delicious, this bread is great as a quick snack or with a bit of whipped honey butter for afternoon tea.

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9 1/4×5 1/4×3-inch loaf pan. Line bottom and 2 long sides with waxed paper. Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in pumpkin, then vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions each. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Transfer batter to pan. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool bread in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around bread at short ends to loosen from pan. Turn bread out onto rack; peel off waxed paper. Cool bread completely. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Wrap and store at room temperature.)

Makes 1 loaf

Bon Appétit
October 2003

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Substitutions: Whole wheat flour in place of white, cinnamon instead of pumpkin pie spice, non-fat plain yogurt instead of butter, only used a 1/2 cup of sugar, no walnuts.

• 3 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1/4 cup of pesto sauce
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, the salt, the baking soda, and the baking powder. In a bowl whisk together the buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of the butter, and the pesto, add the mixture to the flour mixture, and stir the dough until it is just combined. Turn the dough out into a buttered 9-inch ceramic or glass pie plate and with floured hands pat it into a 7-inch round loaf. Brush the top with buttermilk, cut an X 1/4 inch deep across the top, and bake the bread in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 50 minutes, or until it is golden and sounds hollow when the bottom is tapped.

Makes 1 loaf.

Gourmet, October 1991

Here is a savory soda bread with the distinct flavor of rosemary.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons honey

In a large bowl whisk together the flours, the salt, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the rosemary. In a bowl whisk together the buttermilk, 3 tablespoons of the butter, and the honey, add the mixture to the flour mixture, and stir the dough until it is just combined. Turn the dough out into a buttered 9-inch ceramic or glass pie plate and with floured hands pat it into a 7-inch round loaf. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter, cut an X 1/4 inch deep across the top, and bake the bread in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 1 hour, or until it is golden and sounds hollow when the bottom is tapped. Transfer the bread to a rack, brush it with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and let it cool on the rack for at least 4 hours before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf.

Gourmet, October 1991

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Substitutions: I used only 100% whole wheat flour, brushed the dough with buttermilk rather than butter, and did not brush the finished bread with butter. Also, do not wait four hours to eat the bread. Consume immediately. It tastes best fresh out of the oven! Note - the original recipe calls for dill seeds, not rosemary.