Pumpkin Focaccia made with Fresh Milled Flour
Pumpkin spice dessert focaccia made with fresh milled flour is a warm, spiced twist on traditional Italian bread. Infused with seasonal flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin, it offers a cozy, autumnal sweetness.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Focaccia Dough
- 4-4&1/2 cup Fresh Milled Flour 485-540g I like to use 405g of hard white wheat and 135g of Kamut
- 1 cup warm water 240g
- 1/3 cup brown sugar 74g
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 56g + (2 TBSP softened butter for baking dish 28g)
- 1&1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup plain pumpkin puree 250g
- 2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice OR 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp clove
- 2&1/4 tsp instant yeast
Topping/Swirl Ingredients
- 8 TBSP melted unsalted butter 113g
- 1/2 cup brown sugar 100g
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp clove
- 1 tsp cinnamon
*Optional Icing Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar 115g
- 1-2 TBSP whole milk 15-30g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Focaccia Dough
- Firstly, mill the flour. I like to weigh my wheat berries, that way I know I am getting the right amount of flour in grams as well.
- Warm the water to around 90*F. Just warm to the touch, not too hot.
- Then, in a stand mixer, add the warm water, brown sugar, melted butter, salt, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix to combine.
- Add the freshly milled flour to the wet ingredients, and mix to incorporate all the dry flour. Cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. This will allow the fresh milled flour to soften and start to absorb the liquids.
- After this first rest period, then add in the yeast, and start the kneading process. (see video if any questions about the texture of the dough.) The kneading process may only take 8 minutes, but could take up to 25 minutes. It should be a loose wet dough.
- I like to knead the dough until it is nice and stretchy without breaking too easily. Make sure to check on the stretchiness of the dough every couple minutes, as to not over knead the dough.
- Once the dough is nice and stretchy, heavily butter a 9x13 baking dish with softened butter. Make sure to butter up the sides of the pan as well.
- Place the dough into the butter pan, and gently spread the dough in the pan, trying not to tear the dough. It is ok if the dough doesn't fill the pan to the edges, it should double in size after the first rise.
- Cover the dough, and let it rise to double. This should take between 1 and 2 hours.
- During the first rise, make the topping/swirl mixture.
Make The Topping/Swirl Mixture
- To make the topping/swirl, melt the butter, then stir in the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Set to the side until the dough has doubled.
- Once the dough has doubled, drizzle half the topping/swirl mixture over half the dough.
- Fold the dough in half covering the mixture.
- Then gently flatten the dough back out to fill the pan. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
- After this second rise, pour the remaining topping/swirl mixture evenly over the top of the dough.
- Then, wet your fingers, and press deep dimples into the dough all over the top about 1/2 inch apart from each other.
- Cover and allow to rise a third time for about 30 minutes.
- During the end of this last rise, preheat the oven to 400*F.
- Bake the pumpkin focaccia for 20-30 minutes, until the center of the dough reaches at least 190*F.
- Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- While the pumpkin focaccia is cooling, make the icing for the top if you choose to use it.
Make The Optional Icing
- To make the Icing, combine powdered sugar, 1 TBSP whole milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth, if it is too thick, add a bit more milk. You want the icing to be a thick drizzle consistency.
- Drizzle the icing over the pumpkin focaccia before serving, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
To store this fresh milled flour pumpkin focaccia, cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can slice and freeze in a freezer safe container or bag. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can use all hard white wheat, or replace with hard red wheat.
If using active dry yeast, then, activate it with part of the water from the recipe, a pinch of the sugar, and the yeast. Activate during the soaking period in step 4 for the dough. Then, after the rest period of 15 minutes, it should be nice and foamy. Pour the mixture in at in step 5 of the dough when it is called to put in the yeast. (If your yeast mixture is not nice and foamy, then I recommend replacing your yeast.)