Pumpkin Bread

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — pumpkin spice season!

I can’t help it… and I’m not even sorry.

Now, this isn’t the first pumpkin bread recipe I’ve shared on my website. I already have an amazing Chocolate Swirled Pumpkin Bread with Spiced Streusel, but I wanted to create a classic pumpkin bread recipe — and that’s exactly what this one is. It’s so simple that anyone can make it, and honestly, it’s the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever had. I don’t mean to pat myself on the back, buuuut… oh well, it’s that good!

Tips for Making the Perfect Classic Pumpkin Bread

• Use room-temperature ingredients.
This helps everything mix together smoothly for the best texture.

• Prep your loaf pan properly.
Spray it with cooking spray so the bread doesn’t stick. You can also butter and flour the pan, but I find that cooking spray works perfectly for this recipe.

• Bake it all the way through.
As you get close to the end of the baking time, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, you’re good to go! If it comes out with wet batter, bake it a bit longer.

• Use an oven thermometer for accuracy.
If you don’t have one, get one! Ovens often run hotter or cooler than their settings — mine runs about 25 degrees hot. Without the correct temperature, the outside could burn before the inside is fully baked.

• Choose the right loaf pan.
I tested this recipe in two pan sizes. It fits perfectly in two 9.5 x 5-inch loaf pans. My smaller pans (about 8 x 4 inches) were a bit too small, so I used the extra batter to make a few muffins. Whatever pan you use, fill it only about two-thirds full to ensure even baking.

• Sift your dry ingredients.
Don’t skip this step! Sifting makes a big difference — it prevents the loaf from being dense and helps the ingredients mix together beautifully.

• Use high-quality pumpkin pie spice.
The flavor really depends on the spice you use, so choose one that’s rich, warm, and aromatic. I love using my own Provenzano’s Pumpkin Pie Spice—it gives this bread a cozy, perfectly balanced flavor that truly makes it stand out.

Order the best Pumpkin Pie Spice from my food line, Provenzano’s Market.

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Pumpkin Bread

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt, I like using kosher salt
• ▢ 3 teaspoons Provenzano's Market pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, light or dark is fine…either will work
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 4 eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 1- 15 oz can pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
• ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• ▢ 1/2 cup oil

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Place a large sieve over a large bowl
• Add the dry ingredients to the bowl through the sieve; the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar and granulated sugar. This will help breakup any chunks and create a really nice, light overall texture
• If the salt does not fit through the sieve then add it after sifting the other ingredients and just whisk it in
• In a separate bow, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, melted butter and oil
• Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a whisk
• Do not over-mix! Only mix until everything is evenly incorporated
• Spray two 9.5 x 5 inch loaf pans with cooking spray
• Pour the batter evenly between the loaf pans so they are about 2/3 full
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 50-60 minutes or until the middle is set; test this by inserting a toothpick and if it comes out clean then it is done, if it comes out wet then it needs to bake longer
• Allow the baked loaves to cool for about 5-10 minutes and remove from the pan and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack

Notes

*Make sure your ingredients are room temperature. This will help everything mix together nicely.

*Spray your loaf pan with cooking spray so the bread doesn’t stick to it. You could butter and flour the pan as well, but I find that this recipe works just fine with cooking spray.

*Make sure to bake it all the way through. When it gets close to the end of the baking time, insert a toothpick (or something similar) in the center to make sure it’s baked. If the toothpick come out clean, then you are good to go. If the toothpick has wet batter on it, bake it a little longer.

*Use an oven thermometer for accurate temperature. If you don’t have a secondary oven thermometer aside from the oven itself, then you definitely need to get one. My oven runs about 25 degrees hot, so if I were to make this pumpkin bread recipe without the proper temperature then it could burn the outside without cooking the inside.

*Use the correct loaf pan. I tested this recipe in two different size pans. This specific recipe is a perfect fit for two 9.5inch X 5inch pans. I also have slightly smaller loaf pans (about 8×4) and the batter was a little too much for those so I made a few muffins with the extra batter. Whatever loaf pan you use, make sure it’s only filled up about 2/3 of the way full, otherwise the outside will bake and the inside won’t.

*Sift all of the dry ingredients in a sieve before mixing with the wet ingredients. I have found that this makes a huge difference in the overall outcome. It makes it so the loaf is not dense and it helps to mix everything together nicely.

Author: Maria Provenzano