Fresh Milled Pumpkin Bread
This fresh milled pumpkin bread is soft, moist, and full of cozy fall flavor. Made with freshly milled soft white wheat, pumpkin puree, warm spices, and a buttery brown sugar cinnamon streusel, this easy quick bread is perfect for breakfast, afternoon coffee, or a homemade fall treat.
Try my Fresh Milled Zucchini Bread and Fresh Milled Chocolate Chip Cookies next!
🍂 🍁 🌾 🎃 🧺 🪵 🕯️ ☕ 🥧 🍎 🤎 🧡🍂 🍁
There is something special about baking pumpkin bread in the fall. The smell of pumpkin, cinnamon, and warm spices filling the kitchen makes a home feel especially cozy.
This fresh milled soft white wheat pumpkin bread is tender, moist, and full of warm fall flavor. It has all the comforting qualities of a classic pumpkin bread, but freshly milled soft white wheat adds a wholesome, slightly nutty flavor that makes this loaf feel right at home in a from-scratch kitchen.
And because this is a quick bread, there is no yeast, rising, or complicated preparation involved. Just mix the batter, sprinkle on the buttery brown sugar streusel, and let the oven do the work.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Bread
It’s made with freshly milled flour. Freshly milling soft white wheat gives this pumpkin bread a wonderful flavor while keeping the crumb tender and enjoying the health benefits of fresh milled flour.
It’s an easy quick bread. There is no kneading or waiting for dough to rise. This loaf comes together quickly and is perfect for a cozy fall morning or afternoon.
The streusel makes it extra special. The buttery brown sugar and cinnamon topping adds a sweet, crumbly layer to every slice.
It’s perfect for fall baking. Enjoy it with a cup of coffee in the morning, serve it alongside a fall brunch, or wrap up a loaf to share with someone you love.
What Is Soft White Wheat?
Soft white wheat is a wonderful choice for tender baked goods like muffins, cakes, cookies, and quick breads. Compared with hard wheat varieties, it has a naturally lower protein content, which helps create a softer texture.
When freshly milled, soft white wheat gives you the benefits of using the whole grain while still producing a tender loaf of pumpkin bread.
If you are new to milling your own flour, this is a great recipe to start with. You don’t need to reserve fresh-milled flour only for sandwich bread or sourdough. It works beautifully in sweet breads and other everyday baked goods, too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Pumpkin Bread
- Freshly milled soft white wheat flour
- Pumpkin puree
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Butter
- Buttermilk or whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ground cloves
- Ground ginger
- Chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
For the Streusel Topping
- Brown sugar
- Freshly milled soft white wheat flour
- Cinnamon
- Butter
How to Make Fresh Milled Pumpkin Bread
1. Prepare the oven and loaf pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving some parchment hanging over the sides to make removing the finished loaf easier.
2. Make the streusel
Before mixing the bread batter, prepare the streusel topping.
Combine the brown sugar, freshly milled soft white wheat flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture becomes crumbly.
Set the streusel aside while you prepare the pumpkin bread.
3. Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the freshly milled soft white wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
4. Mix the wet ingredients
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth.
5. Combine the batter
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Stir gently just until everything is combined.
Try not to overmix the batter. A few small streaks of flour are better than stirring the batter too much.
If you are adding chopped pecans or walnuts, gently fold them in at this point.
6. Let the batter rest
Allow the batter to rest for about 10 minutes.
This gives the freshly milled flour a little time to absorb the liquid before baking.
7. Add the streusel
Pour the pumpkin bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter. Gently press it into the surface with your fingers so that it stays on the loaf as it bakes.
8. Bake
Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil during the last part of baking.
9. Cool
Allow the pumpkin bread to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes.
Use the parchment paper to carefully lift the loaf from the pan and place it on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Allow it to cool before slicing so the center has time to finish setting.
Tips for Baking with Fresh Milled Flour
Mill your flour fresh. For the best flavor and texture, mill your soft white wheat shortly before making the bread.
Don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup. Freshly milled flour can be fluffy and light. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it rather than scooping directly from the flour container.
Don’t overmix. Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, stop stirring. Overmixing can lead to a tougher, denser quick bread.
Give the flour time to hydrate. Allowing the batter to rest for about 10 minutes before baking gives the freshly milled flour time to absorb the liquid.
Let the bread cool before slicing. I know it is tempting to cut into a warm loaf right away, but allowing it to cool helps the crumb set and makes for much cleaner slices. Oh and honestly, I think this bread tastes better the next day!
Can I Use All-Purpose Flour Instead?
Yes. If you don’t have soft white wheat berries or a grain mill, you can substitute all-purpose flour.
However, the purpose of this recipe is to showcase freshly milled soft white wheat, and I think the flavor and texture are worth trying.
Can I Add Nuts?
Absolutely! Chopped pecans or walnuts are delicious in this pumpkin bread.
You can stir about 1/2 cup of chopped nuts into the batter before pouring it into the loaf pan. Pecans are especially delicious with the brown sugar cinnamon streusel.
How to Store Pumpkin Bread
Once completely cooled, wrap the pumpkin bread tightly or place it in an airtight container.
It can be kept at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, wrap the loaf well and freeze it for up to several months.
You can also slice the loaf before freezing so you can pull out individual slices whenever you want one.
A Cozy Fall Tradition
One of my favorite things about recipes like this is that they don’t need to be complicated to make a house feel like home.
Freshly milled flour, a can of pumpkin, a few warm spices, and a little time in the oven are all you need to make something worth gathering around the table for.
Slice this pumpkin bread while it is still slightly warm, add a little butter, and enjoy it with your morning coffee or an afternoon cup of tea.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soft white wheat is an excellent choice for pumpkin bread because it produces a tender texture that works especially well for quick breads, muffins, cakes, and other sweet baked goods.
A dense loaf can be caused by overmixing the batter, measuring too much flour, or using flour that has not had enough time to hydrate. Measure the flour carefully, mix just until combined, and allow the batter to rest for about 10 minutes before baking.
🍂 🍁 🌾 🎃 🧺 🪵 🕯️ ☕ 🥧 🍎 🤎 🧡🍂 🍁 🌾 🎃 🧺 🪵 🕯️ ☕ 🥧 🍎 🤎 🧡
Fresh Milled Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups freshly milled soft white wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup melted butter cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup buttermilk or whole milk
Streusel topping:
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup freshly milled soft white wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang to make removing the bread easier.
- Prepare the streusel topping. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, freshly milled soft white wheat flour, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture becomes crumbly. Set aside.
- Prepare the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the freshly milled soft white wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth and well combined.
- Combine the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Stir gently just until the flour is incorporated. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the finished bread dense. Fold in the chopped nuts, if using.
- Let the batter rest. Allow the batter to rest for about 10 minutes. This gives the freshly milled flour time to absorb some of the moisture.
- Fill the loaf pan. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and gently smooth the top.
- Add the streusel. Sprinkle the prepared streusel evenly over the top of the pumpkin bread batter, gently pressing it into the surface so it stays in place as the bread rises.
- Bake. Place the loaf in the preheated oven and bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with aluminum foil during the final portion of baking.
- Cool. Allow the pumpkin bread to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to carefully lift the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Slice and serve. Let the bread cool until warm or completely cooled before slicing. Serve with butter, or enjoy it just as it is with a cup of coffee or tea.
