Talk about the PERFECT loaf for Halloween! Not only is this crusty loaf shaped like a pumpkin, it also has roasted pumpkin INSIDE the loaf. And I can confirm it’s not just about the spookily good looks. This fella has got some serious flavour swagger too: light and savoury with a delicate sweetness coming through. Bake this for the big day itself and I can guarantee it’ll be gone by the time the kids have crashed into a candy coma.

I thought the pumpkin might weigh it down a bit too much, and whilst it didn’t rise quite as well as normal, it definitely gained a pretty decent oven spring. And to be honest, the lower rise was worth the sacrifice for the colour/flavour. A worthwhile trade off as far as bread critiqueing goes!

INGREDIENTS:

• 400g strong white bread flour

• 50g wholemeal flour

• 50g Cotswold Matthews Cotswold Crunch or Eight Grain flours

• 12g fine sea salt

• Pumpkin puree (from 1 small pumpkin, cut into wedges)

• 1 tsp black pepper

• handful of crushed walnuts

• 85g mature rye starter

• 350g water (warmed to suit room temp, mine was at 38C degrees)

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C and cut the pumpkin into wedges (skin on). Season the pumpkin with a generous amount of salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven to bake (around 25-30 minutes)

2. Whilst the pumpkin is roasting, mix the flours with the water and leave to autolyse for half an hour.

3. Add the rye starter and use your hands to combine it into the dough. Follow with the sea salt, pinching and folding the dough. Leave for another half an hour.

4. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and leave to cool. Once cool, scoop it out of the skin, mash it up and add a touch of butter to loosen slightly. Add the pumpkin to the dough, folding it over as you go, until it’s fully immersed by the time you’ve completed your fourth fold. Leave for an hour.

5. Fold in the walnuts during the next set of stretch and folds, leave for 45 minutes.

6. Perform 2 further sets of stretch and folds 45 minutes apart. Leave to bulk ferment for another 1-2 hours, then tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a boule. Place in a floured banneton, cover and put in the fridge overnight.

7. Preheat the oven to 230C with your bread pan inside.

8. Remove the dough from the fridge, cover the base with semolina and place eight pieces of string across the base of the dough (spaced to form a pumpkin shape once baked). Place a piece of parchment paper over the top and quickly flip the dough over onto your surface.

9. Tie the pieces of string taught (but not so taught that the string sinks deep into the bread. Close contact with room to breathe is the key!). Cut the ends of the string off and use a bread lame to create your desired pattern.

10. Lift the dough on the parchment into your hot bread oven and close the lid. Bake in the hot oven for 30 minutes on 230C, followed by 15 minutes on 215C until nicely golden on top and smelling incredible. Allow to cool for around 30 minutes before slicing.