Butternut Squash Bread

Ridgely's Note:

My friend Debbie shared this recipe with me years ago. When my husband first tried her bread, he had said to me "Why can't you make squash taste like this." This has become a keeper at our house.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 2 hrs
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 3 loaves

• 2 packages active dry yeast
• ½ cup warm water
• 1 ¼ cups mashed cooked butternut squash
• 1 cup warm milk (110 to 115 degrees)
• 2 eggs , beaten
• 1⁄3; cup butter or 1⁄3; cup margarine , melted
• 1⁄3; cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 7 -7 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Add squash, milk, eggs, butter, sugar and salt; mix well.
3. Gradually add 3 ½ cups flour; beat until smooth.
4. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
5. Turn onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes (5 mins in the mixer).
6. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
7. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
8. Punch dough down.
9. Shape into three loaves; place in greased 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pans.
10. Cover and let rise until doubled about 30 minutes.
11. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until tops are golden.
12. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.

Reviews

[Chef #1394846]

I must say this a very forgiving recipe. Made it yesterday in my mixer. To make a very long story short. Did everything & had put the dough into bowl for 1st rise,when I discovered I had flour left over & had not put in the milk. So I took DOUGH out of the bowl put in the milk & remaning flour mix again, put back into bowl for the rise, then into pans, rise again then baked. YAHOO!!!BREAD WAS PERFECT. So for those who are not bakers this is "IT". bread was very tender & "WONDERFUL. Even f you make a mistake don't fret. I'm 74, & a wonderful bake....PLEASE TRY IT..... Pat in Tucson

[CongoGirl]

My husband really liked this bread. I halved the recipe because that's how much squash I had, but it took way more flour than what half would have been. I mixed it in my bread machine, so maybe that's why. It came out great, though, and I agree that it tastes like challah.

[Zetty66]

I liked that you can't really taste the squash in this bread---got my little one to eat some veggies without him knowing!!!! Made 3 nice, light loaves. I also used half wheat flour.