Honey Pumpkin Bread

Making fresh bread is such a rewarding thing to try and honestly worth the effort. I made this yummy sweet, nutty bread to serve with a big pot of chicken noodle soup. I will definitely make this one again soon.

You will need:

• 1 cup warm water - heated in microwave 25 seconds
• 1/4 cup honey 
• 2 tsp dry yeast
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup fibre - like ground flax or nutricleanse which is a mix of fibres
• 1/3 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/4 cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
• 2 cups (might need a few tbsp more) all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt

Step 1: heat water in a liquid measuring cup in a microwave for 25 seconds.

Step 2: add water, yeast and honey to a large bowl. Mix and leave 5-10 minutes to make sure yeast activates and is fresh.

Step 3: add olive oil, fibre, oats, pumpkin seeds flour and salt. Mix in bowl until it becomes too stiff to mix with a wooden spoon. Turn out onto a clean counter and knead for 5 minutes until dough becomes a smooth ball. If you need an additional bit of flour at 1 tbsp at a time until the dough no longer absorbs flour and is not sticky. You can leave it slightly on the wetter side because of the oil in the dough. You can knead it and it will not stick to the counter.

Step 4: place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm place for 2 hours to rise. I have a bread proof setting on my oven that works great but, a warm kitchen works fine.

Step 5: gently remove dough from bowl and it will deflate. I like to roll up to form a loaf and place in a well oiled (with olive oil) loaf pan. Rub some oil on the top of the loaf and also a bit on a piece of plastic wrap (or it will stick) and leave to rise a second time for 1 hour. I also sprinkle on a few pumpkin seeds and oats to decorate the bread.

Step 6: bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes until golden brown. Turn out bread onto a cooling rack as soon as you remove from the oven. Let cool until just barely warm (don't cut into the bread when it is very hot or you will compress it) then add your favourite topping.