Why You Can Trust CNET The only pumpkin bread I'll be eating from here on out
Order Ovenly's superlative loaf for the holidays or bake it up yourself.
Welcome to Chow with Me, where sister site Chowhound's executive editor Hana Asbrink shares all of the irresistible things she's cooking, eating, reading, buying and more. Today: The best pumpkin bread she's had to date (praise be Ovenly). Lucky for you, you can order it online or bake it up yourself this fall.
We are a little more than a week out from T-Day, and if you (like me) are wondering how Thanksgiving has managed to sneak up on us yet again, pull up a chair because I want to share something delicious with you.
Ovenly's Pumpkin Olive Oil Quickbread is the best darn pumpkin bread around. Full stop. I've eaten many (great!) pumpkin breads, loaves, and cakes, but when it comes to singling out the top dog in the category, the search ends here.
I've been a longtime fan of Brooklyn-based Ovenly, founded by powerhouses Erin Patinkin and Agatha Kulaga. Their Salted Peanut Butter Cookie alone is in a class by itself, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that my love would extend to the seasonal cakes and pies (for which star baker and pie queen Erin McDowell has helped develop recipes).
Read more: Perfect potluck products to transport your Thanksgiving food
What makes this loaf so good? First, it combines the best of fats for a squidgy, irresistible loaf. Olive oil cake fans will be happy to encounter a moist crumb that somehow manages to taste better the next day—if you're lucky enough to have any the next day, that is. Butter is also incorporated to give the quickbread that telltale richness and flavor (though depending on what olive oil you use, you can also get a lot of flavor from there, too).
The Pumpkin Olive Oil Loaf also features a spice that often only gets supporting cast status. I usually don't see ground cloves being featured as prominently as cinnamon in fall and holiday bakes, so it's great to see (and taste) it getting equal play here, along with another oft-neglected supporting role ingredient: nutmeg.
Here it is, homemade and straight out of the oven:
Roasted pepitas and caramelized turbinado (aka, raw) sugar make for the perfect topping: There's just enough to keep things interesting and give multidimensional texture. One last, seemingly trivial reason I love this recipe? It manages to use up an entire 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree, which is actually a big deal when fridge space is at a premium this time of year! Important but relevant side note: I'm obsessed with this aluminum textured loaf pan featuring a dimpled bottom and straight edges to turn out bakery-level loaves.
Related Reading: Better-Than-Homemade Goodies That Can Be Ordered Online
Lucky for us, we have Ovenly's recipe below. You'll get two loaves out of it, and trust me when I say it's not too much. Even luckier, if you want to bring a surefire hit to your next holiday gathering or want to give a really, really delicious gift to a friend or family member across the country, Ovenly ships a two-pack of this Pumpkin Olive Oil Loaf (among other fantastic sweet treats) nationwide.
Ovenly's Pumpkin Olive Oil Loaf
Yield: Two 9x5-inch loaves
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
4 large eggs, room temp
Raw pepitas and turbinado sugar for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans with softened butter and dust with flour.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and all the spices. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over low heat melt butter and set aside to cool.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the sugar, pumpkin puree, water, olive oil, and melted butter until smooth. With the mixer on medium-low, add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until well combined.
Add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing on low speed to combine between additions. After the third addition, mix for 15 seconds to ensure the batter is smooth and homogenous so that no flour bits are remaining in the bottom of the bowl.
Split the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans. Top with the pepitas and turbinado sugar.
Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.