Challah Bread Dough

*This made such a beautiful and delicious bread!  I love making dough in my bread machine--so simple and the bread came out perfectly cooked.


Bread ingredients:
2 large eggs (at room temperature) plus enough warm water to equal 1 1/2 cups
1/4 c oil
2 T sugar
2 t salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 t active dry yeast (or 1 1/4 t bread machine yeast)

Glaze: 2 beaten egg yolks plus 1 T water
Topping: 1 1/2 T poppy seeds

Directions:
1.  Place bread ingredients into bread machine and run on dough setting.
2.  Place dough on a lightly floured surface.  Divide into thirds, making 3 13-inch long ropes with tapered ends.  Pinch ropes together at one end, braid together.  Pinch together at other end and secure braid.
3.  Transfer braided dough to greased baking sheet; cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until double in size.
4.  Combine glaze ingredients and brush onto braid.  Sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until done.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients:
1/4 cup warm water
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
3 T olive oil
1 egg, beaten
2 t pumpkin pie spice
5 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed

Filling:
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 T pumpkin pie spice
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 c raisins

Icing:
1/2 t vanilla extract
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 T butter, melted
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1.  Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle yeast over the water. Allow to stand until the yeast begins to form a creamy foam, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, white sugar, pumpkin, olive oil, and egg. Mix until thoroughly combined. Mix in 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, then add about 5 cups of flour, or as needed to make a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Dough will be slightly sticky. Form the dough into a ball, place into an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. (The dough will rise, but it won't double.)

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 11x16inch baking dish.

3. Punch down the dough, and roll it out to a rectangle shape on a floured work surface until it measures about 18 inches wide and 26 inches long. Brush the dough with 1/4 cup melted butter. Mix the brown sugar, spices, and raisins, and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough. Roll up the dough the long way, and pinch the seam closed, then cut the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces with a sharp knife. Lay the rolls into the prepared baking dish.

4. Bake in preheated oven until lightly golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

5. Mix icing and spread on rolls while still warm.

*This was a fun way to have pumpkin, but I will admit, I like regular cinnamon rolls better.  Great icing!

Pumpkin Chocolate chip Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar (this seemed a bit excessive to me, next time I'll half it)
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
4 eggs
2/3 c oil
2/3 c apple juice*
3 c flour
3 t cinnamon
2 t ginger
1 t ground cloves
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1 c chocolate chips (to be added last)*

*A variation of this recipe would be to add orange juice and sweetened dried cranberries in place of these ingredients.

Directions:
Combine wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Combine dry ingredients.  Add to wet.  Beat until just moistened.  add the chocolate chips (or cranberries).  Pour batter into greased and floured pans (I would use parchment paper on the bottom of your pans).  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Makes 6 mini loaf pans for 2 large loaf pans.

*A sweet dessert bread.  My kids and I liked it--my husband doesn't think pumpkin and chocolate chips go together (his loss!).