Just for fun I wanted to post. This is a Sephardic Rosh Hashanah bread.
Although, I've also heard of the Serphadic tradition that it isn't bread for
them unless it's a plain bread with no additions. this is parve and moist

~ Pumpkin Challah Or Pan De Calabaza ~
Recipe taken from Maggie Glezer's cookbook "A Blessing of Bread: The Many Rich
Traditions of Jewish Bread Baking from Around the World" and adapted by Rosa @
Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Makes 1 big loaf or two smallish loaves.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Pumpkin puree (+ more if the dough is too dry) homemade or canned
2 1/4 Tsps (7g) Active dry yeast
1/4 to 1/2 Tsp Ground cardamom
1/2 Tsp Ground ginger
3 3/4 Cups Plain white flour
2/3 Cup Warm water
1/3 Cup sugar
1 1/2 Tsps Salt
1/4 Cup Plain vegetable oil
1 Egg (~53g) + 1 egg (for the glaze), beaten
Sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Method:
1. Sprinkle the yeast into the water in a bowl. Leave four 10 minutes and then
stir to disolve.
2.Mix the flour and the spicestogether in a large bowl, make a well in the
centre of the flour and pour in the yeasted water.
3. Use a wooden spoon to draw enough of the flour into the yeasted water to form

a soft paste.4. Cover with a tea towel and leave to "sponge" until frothy and
risen, about 20 minutes.
5. Whisk the sugar, salt, oil, egg and pumpkin together. Add to the dough and
mix well.
6. Knead for at 5-10 minutes.
5. Let the dough rest while you wash and dry your bread bowl.
7. Oil the bowl lightly, put the dough in it, cover the bowl with a towel.
8. Let it rise in a warm place until the dough has tripled in size, about 2-3
hours.
9. Punch it down and shape as you wish (I opted for two braids, which requires

halving the dough and then cutting each half into thirds, rolling those thirds
into ropes of dough, and braiding the ropes).
10. Place the loaves on baking sheets that have been oiled or sprinkled with
cornmeal/flour.
11. Let the loaves rise until at least doubled in size, about 40 minutes to an
hour.
12. Glaze the loaves with the extra beaten egg and sprinkle them with sesame
seeds or poppy seeds.
13. Bake the loaves at 180° C (350° F) for 40-45 minutes.

Remarks:
Instead of the pumpkin puree, you can use 1 sweet potato (baked, then mashed).
I recommend you to use the following pumpkin:
Potimarron (French) = Hokkaido Pumpkin = Chestnut Pumpkin = Baby Red Hubbard =
Uchiki Kuri = Chinese Pumpkin = Japanese Pumpkin.
To obtain fresh puree, take your pumpkin, cut it in half, deseed it and peel
it, then cut it in cubes and steam. Once it is cooked, mash the pumpkin flesh.
It has to be a very smooth puree.
You can add a little more pumpkin puree if you want the flavor to be stronger.
Use plain/neutral tasting oil such as peanut oil, canola oil or sunflower oil.
If you find you dough too wet, add some flour or, on the contrary, if you find

it too dry add some pumpkin puree, a tablespoon at a time.
The dough should be firm, easy to knead and neither dry nor sticky.