Pumpkin & Fennel Bread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

14 oz pumpkin flesh, cubed
4 cup bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried yeast
2/3 cup warm water
1 medium egg, beaten

Preparation

Place the pumpkin pieces in boiling salted water and cook for about 8 minutes until very tender. Drain and mash until smooth, then set aside to cool.
Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl then stir in the fennel seeds and yeast. Add the cooled pumpkin and about 2/3 cup warm water to form a soft pliable dough. Knead well for 10 minutes then place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.
When doubled in size, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly knead for about 1 minute to knock the air out. Shape into a round ball, place on an oiled baking sheet, cover, and let double in size again for about 45 minutes.
Heat oven to 400\u00b0F. Brush the dough with a beaten egg, make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes in the top, and bake for about 40 minutes until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.