Macrina Bakery's Squash Harvest Loaf

Let me admit this up front: This was not my idea.



When it comes to dessert, things like lemon, raspberry, or chocolate attracts me. Not ... squash. Also, I would have been put off by the pumpkin seeds, not because I don't like them (I do), but because they're not something I'd find readily in my pantry.

Baking this loaf was all my cousin's idea, and she's the one I need to thank for introducing me to a hearty, tasty, and simply wonderful sweet bread.

It all started with a bitter butternut squash that she'd dry roasted. The kids didn't want to have anything to do with it unless it was generously doctored with butter and syrup (but really, few things aren't made better with those two things). That's when she decided she'd make this bread, which she had at Macrina and loved. But she also needed my stand mixer, 2 eggs, and another loaf pan. That's where I came in.



We used 2 cups of sugar instead of the 3 the recipe calls for, with no negative results to the texture (it was quite lovely and moist). It was also still plenty sweet; if we made it again we might try to cut down on the sugar even more. This recipe makes 2 loaves of bread, so it's great for a family or for pastry gifting, which is always appreciated!

Macrina Bakery Squash Harvest Loaf (from Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery Cookbook)

Ingredients

• 2 cups roasted butternut squash purée (use a 1-1/2 lb medium-sized squash)
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Method

Roasting the butternut squash

1. Wash and cut the squash in two halves, remove the seeds and place the halves in a rimmed baking sheet, face up, with 1 cup of water in the pan. Cook in a preheated oven at 375°F for 1 hour minimum, until the flesh is fork tender.
2. Remove and let cool down before scooping the squash out.
3. Place in a food processor and mix smoothly.
4. Let cool down and use 2 cups for 2 loaves. Keep the rest in the fridge for 3 days max, or freeze it for future use.

Making the loaves

1. Place the nuts and seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 15 min. Remove from the oven and let cool down before grinding them to medium-sized pieces. Keep 1/4 cup on the side, for decoration.
2. Turn the oven temperature down to 325°F.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl.
4. Add the seeds, minus 1/4 cup. Mix with a wooden spoon.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the oil and two types of sugar and use the paddle attachment to mix on medium speed, for 4 min.
6. Add the roasted butternut squash and continue to mix for 2 min.
7. Add one egg at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
8. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and add the flour and the buttermilk alternatively, until the liquid is absorbed each time.
9. Transfer the mixture into 2 oiled 9-in loaf pans, filling each about 2/3 to the top.
10. Sprinkle with the reserved seeds.
11. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out dry when inserted into the loaf. Remove and let cool for 20 min before unmolding onto a cooling rack.

Hot and Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

This is one of my favorite ways to make buttermilk biscuits. It's fast and easy, and gives consistently good results (light and fluffy). It does require the use of a food processor, but I think you could probably use a pastry blender and get good biscuits from that method also. If you work fast you can have the dough ready to bake in perhaps 15 minutes, which is wonderful. There's no rolling or cutting involved, which I find is what takes up the most time when making traditional biscuits (though there's certainly nothing wrong with that -- it's just harder to be spontaneous).



I also have a confession: I love the feeling of super soft dough in my hands. The step where you shaping the wet dough into mounds with flour is probably my favorite part of this method; the blobs of dough are so soft and pliant in my hands -- love it!

The before and after shots:





It's like night and day, isn't it? Who knew this ugly duckling could turn into such a beautiful swan? :-)

The resulting biscuits aren't uniform, but that's what gives them their charm, in my opinion. They'd look awesome nestled in a napkin that's been tucked into a basket. (Note to self: Buy a basket.)



Biscuits have so many uses: slather them with butter and jam (what I did the night these were baked). Eat them plain. Drizzle honey or syrup on them. Use them to sop up juice from your steak. Or eat them for breakfast, smothered with cream gravy (what I did the next morning). The sky's the limit!



Mile-High Biscuits (recipe slightly adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients

For the dough

• 2 cups (10oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk cold, preferably low-fat

To Form and Finish Biscuits

• 1 cup (5 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour, distributed in rimmed baking sheet
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Method

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Generously spray inside and outside of 1/4 cup dry measure with nonstick cooking spray.
2. For the dough: In food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda to combine, about six 1-second pulses. Scatter butter cubes evenly over dry ingredients; pulse until mixture resembles pebbly, coarse cornmeal, eight to ten 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add buttermilk to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated (dough will be very wet and slightly lumpy).
3. To form and bake biscuits: Using 1/4 cup dry measure and working quickly, scoop level amount of dough; drop dough from measuring cup into flour on baking sheet (if dough sticks to cup, use small spoon to pull it free). Repeat with remaining dough, forming 12 evenly sized mounds. Dust tops of each piece of dough with flour from baking sheet. With floured hands, gently pick up piece of dough and coat with flour; gently shape dough into rough ball, shake off excess flour, and place in prepared cake pan. Repeat with remaining dough, arranging 9 rounds around perimeter of cake pan and 3 in center. Brush rounds with hot melted butter, taking care not to flatten them.
4. Bake 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees; continue to bake until biscuits are deep golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then invert biscuits from pan onto clean kitchen towel; turn biscuits right-side up and break apart. Cool 5 minutes longer and serve.

(Shown here with Julia Child's 20-second French omelette.)