pumpkin challah sliced in cooling rack

Happy hump day! And welcome to the Virtual Pumpkin Party of your dreamiest dreams.

The lovely and talented Sara has assembled a mass of bloggers who are celebrating the best of what this season has to offer: And that is pumpkin. PUMPKIN EVERYTHING. We are bringing a virtual pumpkinpalooza to you, so you best get your carb-loving face ready because my contribution is this carbo-loaded pumpkin wonder known as pumpkin challah. #YAS.

pumpkin challah loaf on baking sheet

There has been quite a bit of challah in my day, but never ever have I thought to put pumpkin in it and yes, I’m slapping my forehead about it. Because while challah itself is fluffy and tender and soft and flavorful, pumpkin challah is all of those things times ten thousand. Do I exaggerate? You’d have to ask the ladies of the dinner club I’m a part of (and that’s a cool/classy dinner club, btw, not an old lady snoozefest kind of one… I mean we even made homemade gnocchi last time and sometimes we drink peppermint tea at the end of the night!), because I brought the behemoth baby-size loaf to said dinner club and left with less than half of the loaf. So I’d say the odds are good that I’m not exaggerating that much.

pumpkin challah on cooling rack

So what did I do with the leftovers of this lovely loaf? YEP YEP YEP YEP I made pumpkin challah French toast. And it is every bit as glorious as you’d imagine. So if you’re not already enthralled by the thought of a warm, fresh-baked slice of soft pumpkin-y challah with a spread of melty butter on top, mayhaps the idea of using it to make French toast the next morning will put you over the threshold.

And don’t be fooled, savory carb lovers, by the addition of pumpkin to this loaf — the pumpkin flavor and pumpkin pie spices are subtle, so the bread plays nicely on both salty and sweet sides. I can imagine this bread also would taste phenomenal as a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, or in a savory bread pudding (or a sweet one, too!), or as croutons on top of a big ol’ autumn salad. But that French toast, though…

sliced pumpkin challah

Oh, dear baby-sized pumpkin bread, you complete my every fall dream.

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sliced pumpkin challah bread

Pumpkin Challah

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  • Author: Adapted from What Jew Wanna Eat
  • Prep Time: 25 mins
  • Cook Time: 35 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 1 large loaf 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup warm water (about 100 to 110 degrees F)
  • 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) plus 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (3 1/4 teaspoons total)
  • 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • Egg wash (1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water)
  • Sesame seeds, for topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. In medium bowl, stir water and yeast until combined. Let sit 10 minutes until slightly foamy.
  2. Meanwhile, in large bowl or bowl of stand mixer, stir flours, pumpkin pie spice and salt until combined.
  3. Once yeast mixture is foamy, whisk in pumpkin puree, honey, vegetable oil, egg and egg yolk until just combined.
  4. Make well in flour mixture. Pour pumpkin mixture into well. Use wooden spoon or dough hook of stand mixer on low speed to stir until dough forms. Knead dough by hand 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed just until soft, smooth, elastic dough forms; OR, use dough hook of stand mixer on medium speed to knead dough 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed just until soft, smooth, elastic dough forms.
  5. Shape dough into ball. Return to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 1 1/2 hours until doubled.
  6. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down risen dough. Divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 14-inch long log. Braid dough, tucking ends under dough. (Here’s a great tutorial on how to braid challah). Cover loaf with towel and let rise 45 minutes until doubled.
  7. Brush top of loaf with egg wash, then sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and baked through.

AND NOW FOR ALL DEM #VIRTUALPUMPKINPARTY RECIPES:

Cake Over Steak • Pumpkin Ginger Cookies with a Vanilla Glaze
B. Britnell • Pumpkin & Goat Cheese Macaroni
A Couple Cooks • Pumpkin Spice Almond Butter
I Am a Food Blog • Roasted Pumpkin and Pork Stuffed Shells
Well and Full • Harissa-Spiced Pumpkin Gnocchi
Loves Food, Loves to Eat • Pumpkin Pork Burrito Bowls
Snixy Kitchen • Black Sesame Pumpkin Mochi Cake
Hungry Girl por Vida • Pumpkin Chocolate Crumb Cake
Donuts, Dresses and Dirt • Pumpkin Spice Latte Truffles
Two Red Bowls • Pumpkin & Caramelized Onion Galette
The Frosted Vegan • Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Gingersnaps
Warm Vanilla Sugar • Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Ice Cream + Affogato
An Edible Mosaic • Pumpkin Spice Latte Snack Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream
Kitchen Konfidence • Yeasted Pumpkin Waffles with Candied Ginger
Chocolate + Marrow • Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Butter Swirl
The Pig & Quill • Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes with Pumpkin Spice Caramel + Coconut Cream
Salt & Wind • Apple Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffins with Pepita Streusel
With Food + Love • Creamy Pumpkin Polenta with Balsamic Roasted Beets
A Cookie Named Desire • Pumpkin Crepes with Cinnamon Ginger Cheesecake
Nommable • Pumpkin Moon Pies
Feed Me Phoebe • Thai Pumpkin Curry with Shrimp and Bok Choy
The Yellow Table • Coconut-Curry Pumpkin Soup
Ginger & Toasted Sesame • Pumpkin Ricotta Gnudi
The Crepes of Wrath • Pumpkin Pie Cake
The Swirling Spoon • Pumpkin Hand Pies
Erin Made This • Pumpkin Rye Waffles with Coconut Caramel
Beard and Bonnet • Pumpkin Spice Pizzelle Ice Cream Sandwiches
My Name is Yeh • Pumpkin Slice and Bake Cookies
Earthy Feast • Pumpkin-Stuffed Turnip-Ravioli with Pepita Pesto
Broma Bakery • Pumpkin Pie White Chocolate Brownies
Floating Kitchen • Pumpkin Beertail with Tequila and Spiced Rum
The Sugar Hit • Pumpkin Everything Bagels
The Bojon Gourmet • Pumpkin Flatbread with Gruyére and Crispy Sage (gluten-free)
Sprinkled with Jules • Pumpkin Spice French Macarons
Feast + West • Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Toffee Bark
Jojotastic • Pumpkin Cinnamon Rimming Sugar
Fix Feast Flair • Japanese Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake with Quick Caramel
Appeasing a Food Geek • Pumpkin Ale Cake
Tending the Table • Roasted Pumpkin with Tamarind and Coriander Chutney
Long Distance Baking • Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream + Pumpkin Pancakes
My Blue & White Kitchen • Roasted Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Prosciutto
Fork Vs. Spoon • Pumpkin Buttermilk Pudding
Alyssa & Carla • Pumpkin Tea Bread (in a Coffee Can!)
Twin Stripe • Pumpkin Spice Toffee
Le Jus d’Orange • Lentil-Stuffed Acorn Squash, Crispy King Oyster Bacon + Aged Goat Cheese
The Scratch Artist • Japanese Pumpkin Temaki with Ginger Kale Chips
Brewing Happiness • Caramelized Apple Pumpkin Muffins
Blogging Over Thyme • Homemade Candied Pecan Pumpkin Ice Cream Drumsticks
Heartbeet Kitchen • Pumpkin Swirled Mashed Potatoes
The Speckled Palate • Pumpkin Brown Butter Streusel Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt • Pumpkin Gingersnap Pie
Style Sweet CA • Chocolate Stout and Pumpkin Checkerboard Cake
Fork to Belly • Pumpkin Orange Brulee Pie
Tasty Yummies • Grain-Free Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Påte á Chew • Pumpkin Almond Cake with Almond Butter Frosting
Holly & Flora • Pumpkin Pie Martini with Coconut Cream + Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Southern Soufflé • Sorghum Pumpkin Soufflés
Okie Dokie Artichokie • Creamy Pumpkin and Chorizo Pasta Bake, Cheese Tortellini, Sage-Mascarpone Sauce, Toasted Hazelnuts
Kale & Caramel • Pumpkin Goat Cheese Polenta with Brown Butter Thyme Mushrooms & Kale
The Little Epicurean • Maple Pumpkin Butter Brioche Toast
Vigor and Sage • Maple Pumpkin Harvest Smoothie
Tried and Tasty • Whole Wheat Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Sprouted Routes • Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Risotto with Sweet & Spicy Roasted Pepitas (gluten free)
The Fauxmartha • Baked Pumpkin Donuts
So… Let’s Hang Out • Grain-Free Apple Crumble Pumpkin Pie
Wit & Vinegar • Pumpkin Flaxseed Dog Treats
Dunk & Crumble • Pumpkin Roundup
Biscuits and Such • Pumpkin Pound Cake
SugarHero! • Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Pound Cake
A Little Saffron • Spiced Pepita Brittle