With the programmes heralding the arrival of autumn now underway, tis the season to have something sweet and warm! Pumpkin bread is one among the best that you can taste in the fall season. This type of bread derives from a combination of sweet and savory and, in this recipe, brown butter takes bread, or rather the bread recipe, to a whole new level. But what about brown butter pumpkin bread or shall we say the world of brown butter pumpkin bread? Let’s take you through a brief overview of this delightful dish and even share a recipe that you can try at home.

What is Brown Butter?

In the first place, let it’s said what brown butter is, before proceeding to the recipe itself. What brown butter entails is merely cooking regular butter down until it becomes a shade of brown and gives off the distinctive aroma of nuts. This lovely caramel note is produced by toasting the butter and really goes along with the sweet part of pumpkin. 

The History of Pumpkin Bread:

As with most aspects of American foods, pumpkin bread has been part of the Americana diet for many years and, in fact, has colonial beginnings. Pumpkin has been widely incorporated in the traditional American dishes in past because of its availability and application. With time, bakers started tasting different ingredients and it then reached a time that many families in United States of America incorporated pumpkin bread into their foods.

Why Use Brown Butter?

It is however important to note that brown butter has slowly but surely found its way into mainstream preparation over the last few years. Used properly it can take a standardized dish and make it spectacular. Thus, instead of adding mere butter, in pumpkin bread it is browns providing a richer flavoring than other regular recipes for the dish could offer. The nutty flavour from brown butter works so well with the warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger) used to make pumpkin bread as well!

The Recipe: Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup canned pumpkin – this is not the same thing as pumpkin pie filling!
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Next, put your oven on 350 F and spray grease or butter a 9×5 inch loaf tin.

2. Then turn on the stove under the medium flame and place a medium saucepan containing unnecessary melted butter. Fry butter continuously until it turns a rich deep golden and you start to smell the nutty aroma. After that, take out of heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

3. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt together until blended.

4. In another bowl melt the butter in a pan until it turns brown color in it, and then add the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and mix well.

5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and it’s ready to use; it shouldn’t be beaten too much. You need to mix up only to assure that all ingredients are mixed well together, not overmixing the pound cake batter.

6. You can add the chopped walnuts if you want to.

7. This batter is better poured into the loaf pan you will bake the loaf in and leveled so it is flat with a spatula.

8. Or you can roast or bake for about an hour or a little more until the bread is golden and brown and a skewer picks up clean from the middle of the bread.

9. Remove the cakes from the oven, place on the wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes in the pan, then remove to cool completely.

10. You can now slice it and serve this deliciously brown butter pumpkin bread.

Tips for Success:

As for the type of pan, to have an even browning, recommend flipping the pan halfway through the baking time.
For an even richer taste of nuts, use one more tablespoon of the browned butter when you are incorporating your batter.
As a further touch to the textural presentation, you might sprinkle the coarse sugar on the pumpkin bread before putting it in the oven.

Conclusion:

Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread is that cozy recipe with notes of the season combined with the elevating flavor of brown butter. This simple recipe will soon develop into one of the most loved ones in your home as you prefer warm slices during coffee or tea time. So why wait? Let’s get your ingredients ready now and start a fun baking journey today!