Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Yeast Bread

This is not a quick sweet bread, but rather a yeast bread perfect for toast on fall and winter mornings. Pair it with Thanksgiving leftovers for a great sandwich, or a butternut soup for a simple lunch. We ate most of it still warm slathered with butter because after smelling it cook we just couldn't wait. The cinnamon-sugar swirl is easy to do and will impress everyone lucky enough to get a slice.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 45 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 2 1⁄4 teaspoons  yeast
• 3⁄4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1⁄4 cup  mashed banana
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 3 -3 1⁄2 cups whole wheat flour (recommend half all purpose flour, half wheat flour)
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cardamom

• Swirl Filling

• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

1. First, make sure your yeast is active: combine the water, tablespoon of sugar, and the yeast, stir, and set aside until you see it begin to foam. Your yeast is alive, so proceed.
2. Add the remaining ingredients except for 1/2 cup of the flour and those for the filling. Thoroughly combine your dough and knead using your preferred method: a bread machine "dough" setting, your trusty stand mixer, or your own hands. Whatever method you choose, you're done kneading when the dough is springy and smooth to the touch. If it's a bit sticky, add that reserved 1/2 cup of flour a bit at a time until the stickiness goes away. If it seems a bit dry/clumpy, you can add water by the tablespoon until the dough is more elastic.
3. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel, then set aside to rise in a warm place for 60 minutes.
4. Prep your swirl filling by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
5. Make your swirl! Retrieve that risen dough, then roll it to a rectangular shape using a rolling pin. Spread the cinnamon-sugar over the rectangle leaving a thin border around all edges. Roll the bread up like a jelly roll to create the swirl, then tuck under the left and right sides to seal the edges.
6. Place the rolled dough seam-side down in a greased loaf pan and allow it to rise for another 60 minutes, or until the loaf rises above the lip of the loaf pan.
7. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake the loaf for 45-55 minutes until done.