These are tasty little pumpkin twirl breads that are filled with pumpkin butter and toasted nuts. The sourdough tang in the breads saves them from being "too sweet," and gives them extra flavor. I use commercial pumpkin butter--usually the kind from Trader Joe's, which is less expensive than many others. You can make your own pumpkin butter, but I'm not that ambitious. If you can't find/don't want to make pumpkin butter, use apple butter instead. No, it's not pumpkin, but it's good and will work fine. These are "free-form," rustic-type breads, not fancy bakery-style loaves. I generally make the breads in the air fryer, which is easy and saves on electricity. If you'd like to bake the loaves in the regular oven, bake them at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. The twirl breads are great for breakfast, as a snack with tea or coffee, and even for a less sweet dessert/nighttime snack. Enjoy!
Sourdough Pumpkin Twirl Breads -- Makes 2 Small Loaves
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
1/3 cup of canola oil
1 large egg
1/3 cup of milk
1/3 cup of sugar
1 cup of white whole-wheat flour (or use all-purpose)
In a large bowl mix together well all the ingredients listed above. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture sit for at least an hour. I usually let mine sit on the counter for 3-5 hours while I do other things. When you're ready, add to the mixture:
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
Stir, then knead the mixture for 3-5 minutes, adding in about 1/2 cup of additional all-purpose flour as you knead to prevent the dough from being too sticky to knead. Lightly flour the counter and roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Spread the dough to within about 1/2-inch from the edges with:
10 ounces of pumpkin butter (about 3/4 cup)
1/3 - 1/2 cup of toasted pecans or walnuts
Starting at one end, roll up the dough into a log. Cut the log in half, pinch the ends to seal them, and/or then tuck the ends under the main part of the loaves. Although I usually don't bother (or forget), you can make a few small slashes on the top of the loaf, if you like (about 1/4-inch deep). Cut small pieces of baking parchment to fit your air fryer basket, and place the loaves on the parchment. Sprinkle the loaves with a little cinnamon-sugar and spritz them with non-stick cooking spray (the spray will hold the sugar in place in the air fryer). Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise for 1-3 hours or until they increase in size by about one-third. Place one or two loaves (on their parchment) in your air fryer basket, place the basket in the air fryer, and air fry the loaves at 320 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Repeat the air frying process with the remaining loaf if necessary. Let the loaves cool completely before slicing them for neater slices.
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