Bread Machine Pumpkin Brioche Cinnamon Twist Loaf

Celebrate fall flavors with this amazing recipe for Pumpkin Brioche Cinnamon Twist made with the help of a bread machine. Don't miss the helpful recipe secrets inside the post. Yield: one delightful loaf.

14 slices

Sliced Pumpkin Brioche Twist showing inner texture.

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 20

Rise + Chill time 10 30

Total Time 12 50

Ingredients

½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter (1 stick) - cold but pliable

Tangzhong Paste

⅓ cup (76 g) milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour
¼ cup (57 g) pumpkin puree

Dough:

2 large (100 g) eggs - cold
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon table or sea salt
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose unbleached flour
1¾ teaspoons instant yeast

Filling:

1 tablespoon water, heavy cream, or milk
⅓ cup (75 g) powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Glaze:

1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
1 tablespoon coarse sparkling sugar

Instructions

Preparing the butter:

Chop ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) from the refrigerator. Set aside to warm slightly while you make the Tangzhong paste and assemble the dough.

Making the Tangzhong Paste:

Combine ⅓ cup milk and 2 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour in a microwave-safe container. Whisk until smooth. Microwave this mixture for 30 seconds on HIGH, stopping at 20 seconds to whisk well. The mixture should turn into a thick "gravy" consistency. As it cools, it should look like mashed potatoes. (A few lumps are OK--they'll disappear as the dough is kneaded. If the paste is more like play dough, throw it out and try again.) Add ¼ cup pumpkin puree to the paste and stir. This quickly cools down the paste. Add this mixture to the bread machine pan.

Completing the Dough:

Add 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon table or sea salt, 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, and 1¾ teaspoons instant yeast to the bread maker pan.
Choose the DOUGH cycle and press the "START" button. Mix and knead the dough for 2 minutes. If necessary, use a small spatula to ensure all the flour is incorporated into the dough. The dough will look sticky and wet, like crumbly cookie dough batter.
Open the lid and quickly squish the butter through your fingers into the dough as it kneads. If necessary, use a small spatula to push the butter into the dough so it will mix in quickly.
Don't answer the phone while you do this. You don't want the butter to get too warm.
As the dough kneads, the gluten will build strength, and the dough will begin to hold its shape. However, the dough will still stick to the sides and not pull away cleanly, wait until the last 5 minutes of kneading to add any flour.
IMPORTANT: The dough will not be shiny, but it should hold its shape. The dough should pull away from the sides but not cleanly. There will be dough underneath the paddles. Only add flour if the dough will not pull away from the sides at all.
When the kneading phase ends, leave the dough in the bread machine pan to rise. Hint: If my kitchen is warm, I prefer to remove the pan from the machine so the bread machine doesn't warm the dough and cause the butter to leak. Cover and let it rise on the counter until it doubles in size.

Chilling the Dough Before Shaping:

Drop the dough into a large greased bowl and cover. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, up to 24 hours. Do not skip this step. If you don't have time for the chill, you might want to make a different bread recipe or see my kitchen tip in the post above about using a freezer to quick-chill the dough.

Shaping the Dough

Prepare the filling: Combine ⅓ cup powdered sugar and 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.
Review the shaping instructions beforehand, as you'll need to move quickly before the dough warms and becomes too sticky to handle. Ready to begin? Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer it to a floured surface. I recommend using a silicone mat for effortless cleanup and hassle-free dough handling.
Roll the dough ball into a rectangle approximately 12 x 18 inches. Brush with one 1 tablespoon water, heavy cream, or milk. Sprinkle half of the filling over the cream.
Starting with the long side, roll the dough without stretching it but tightly enough that there is no slack. Seal the seam by pinching the edge to the dough next to it.
Place this cylinder of dough into the freezer for 15 minutes. It will make the next step a lot easier. (I like to wrap the silicone mat around the dough cylinder for protection and stick it into the freezer.)
While the dough is in the freezer, prepare your pan. Unless you will be using a USA pan or a pan that has the same superior non-stick qualities, I suggest you line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for easier removal of the baked loaf.
Remove the dough from the freezer. Slice the cylinder of dough the long way with a pizza cutter (my preference) or a large knife. You should have two half-pipes. Line them up side by side with the cut edges facing up. Carefully twist the half pipes, keeping the cut side up at all times. See the video for what this looks like.
Place into an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan or a 9x4-inch Pullman pan. Fold under the ends. Gently press the braid down into the pan with your fingertips to distribute the dough throughout the pan. Cover and allow to rise until it reaches the edge of the pan. Depending on the ambient temperature, this final rise may take one and a half hours to three hours.
Preheat a conventional oven to 425 F (220 C)
When the twist has risen to the top of the pan, paint the top with 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coarse sparkling sugar. Turn oven temperature back to 375˚F (180˚C) and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190-195˚F (88-91˚C). If necessary, use foil to protect the top from over-browning about halfway through the bake time.
Remove the bread from the bread pan within 5 minutes before the sugar cools. Let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.

Notes

See the notes in the post for substitutions and the FAQ for answers to common questions about making brioche in a bread machine.

Nutritional Information