Bremer Kürbisbrot (Roasted Squash Bread)

So this is a little bit of a cheat, in that there’s really nothing Jewish about it. But I thought this delicious roasted squash bread was too delicious not to share here. Plus, baking bread is also a great way to use up flour before Passover, if that’s something you do.

This unusual bread, which hails from the German town of Bremen, near the North Sea, is traditionally made in autumn when winter squash returns to the markets. It’s moist and sweet and brioche-y, kind of like an especially rich challah. The inside is ultra-soft and squidgy, while the outside is pleasingly crusty.

While you can safely assume it’s not a Jewish recipe by origin because it contains butter, I figure chances are some less observant German Jews must have baked this squash bread at some point. Although according to the internets, Bremen never had a particularly robust Jewish population, so maybe I’m stretching here.

This squash bread stays good for several days due to the high moisture content, even untoasted. I made mine with butter, per the original recipe, but if you’re looking to make this pareve you could certainly sub in margarine or refined coconut oil. You can use whatever kind of winter squash you have on hand; I used kabocha. Though the original recipe calls for brushing the squash bread with milk before putting it in the oven, I skipped this step because I like a crustier crust.

This recipe is slightly adapted from Luisa Weiss’s excellent Classic German Baking (which is absolutely worth checking out and, this recipe notwithstanding, of interest from a Jewish standpoint as well since there’s a lot of overlap between German-Christian and German-Jewish baking traditions).

Bremer Kürbisbrot (Roasted Squash Bread)

1 cup pureed winter squash, canned or freshly roasted and blended

4 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading

1 teaspoon dry active yeast

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, margarine, or refined coconut oil at room temperature

Milk for brushing (optional)

Place the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, butter, and squash in a large bowl and stir together. Depending on how moist the squash is, you may need to add a splash of water or milk to the dough.

Either knead in a stand mixer with a dough hook or dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and not sticky.

Lightly oil the mixing bowl from the dough. Form the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 2 hours, or until doubled. You can also refrigerate the dough overnight.

Two hours later or the next morning, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If the dough was refrigerated, let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Gently deflate the dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes, until smooth. Form the dough into a smooth, round ball and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a clean dishcloth and place in a warm spot for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. If you like, brush the dough evenly with a bit of milk. Bake for 1 hour, until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Place on a rack to cool. Wait until the bread has almost fully cooled before slicing.

Sources: “Bremen,” Encyclopedia Judaica (Jewish Virtual Library, 2008); Classic German Baking (Luisa Weiss, 2016)