Must have missed the memo…
So the calender says Summer should be coming, but apparently Mother Nature didn’t get the memo. As I sit here and type this out I am wearing sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt and am seriously considering getting a sweatshirt to put on as well. It’s says it’s 61 outside, but it’s damp and cold. We had down pouring-sideways rain when I got up early this morning to go to stick and puck (hockey) which I ended up ditching since there was down pouring-sideways rain…and it was 5am. Though don’t get me wrong, I am loving that Mother Nature is forgetting about Summer. I’m all for it. I just hope she doesn’t make up for it by extending the Summer. 
Now for a bit I tried to embrace the coming Summer. I tried to make a more Summery based dessert and I had an epic fail. I mean epic. I’ve never even seen food have the texture I got with my baking fail. And so I figured if Mother Nature wasn’t ready to move on, then neither should I. I should just pretend it is my favorite time of year, Fall, and make something that reminds me of that season. So I did.
This bread comes from Macrina which is a local bakery here in Seattle. They wrote a cookbook. It’s my go to one for bread. If you don’t own it, I seriously recommend it for you. It’s in paperback now so it’s cheap. This bread calls for fresh butternut squash (which I used,) but you can use canned pumpkin if you would prefer for time saving purposes. But as always, fresh is better. The original also uses ½ cup of walnuts and ½ cup of pecans. I’m out of pecans so I used a whole cup of walnuts.
I hope you all are getting the type of weather you are wanting…I know I am. 
Squash Harvest Loaf
2 cups roasted butternut squash purée* (or canned pumpkin if you prefer)
1 cup walnut halves
1 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
½ tsp nutmeg
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp salt
1 cup canola oil
¾ cup buttermilk
*Use about 1 lb 1/2 for 2 cups of roasted butternut squash, a medium-sized squash.
Roasting the butternut squash.
Wash and cut the squash in two halves, remove the seeds and place the halves in a rimmed baking sheet, face up, with 1 cup water in the pan. Cook in a preheated oven at 375 F for 1 hour minimum, until the flesh is fork tender.
Remove and let cool down before scooping the squash out.
Place in a food processor and mix smoothly.
Let cool down and use 2 cups for 2 loaves. Keep the rest in the fridge for 3 days max, or freeze it for future times.
Making the loaves
Place the nuts and seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes (at 375F. If you roasted the squash your oven is already at this. If you used can pumpkin, you need to preheat to 375F). Remove from the oven and let cool down before grinding them, medium. Keep ¼ cup on the side, for the decoration.
Turn the oven temperature down to 325 F.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl.
Add the seeds, minus 1/4 cup. Mix with a wooden spoon.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the oil and two types of sugar and use the paddle attachment to mix on medium speed, for 4 minutes.
Add the roasted butternut squash and continue to mix for 2 minutes.
Then, add one egg at a time.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and add the flour and the buttermilk alternatively, until the liquid is absorb each time.
Transfer the preparation in 2 oiled loaf pans measuring 9 x 5 x 3″, 2/3 to the top.
Sprinkle with the reserved seeds.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out dry once inserted in the loaf. Remove and let cool for 20 minutes before unmolding on a cooling rack.
Source: Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook by Leslie Mackie
30 Responses
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June 7th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
I’ll trade you our 100 degree temps in Texas for your 61 degrees! This bread looks yummy!
June 7th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Well, we’re having record temps of 90 degrees here in Flagstaff! And you know it’s hotter because we’re closer to the sun up here! Can’t even dream of baking right now…I need to come up with some recipes for desserts on the grill…!
June 7th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
This looks and sounds so amazing!
June 7th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
I love that cookbook too but have had some fails with it. When things turn out, they are extraordinary (like the above bread) but when they don’t – they don’t.
June 7th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Interesting. I have yet to have a fail, but I have only made their breads, none of the breakfast or desserts. What failed on you?
June 7th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
A splendid loaf!
Cheers,
Rosa
June 7th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Come on down to Tennessee. We’ve got all the heat and humidity you can ask for. For 2 weeks I’ve already been saying “I hate summer.” And it’s technically still spring.
June 7th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
I love a good loaf with what I call autumn flavours. I like the sprinkling of seeds too.
June 7th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Lovely loaf! I may just save this one for fall, but I do really like the look of those pumpkin seeds on top- It’s a shame fewer people bake with them.
June 7th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
We have June gloom. I love it.
Beautiful pictures as usual Peabody!
June 7th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
I’m totally a summer girl. Maybe you could shift your summer weather over here if you get more of it than you want. I could always use some extra. I’ll accept fall, though, if it means I get to eat this bread! I love pumpkin. Year round.
June 7th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
winter squash are my favorite! While I was hoping to see a bit more sunshine, and not the winter we never had, I think your attitude towards the current weather is the way to go. I think I’ll make some nice, warm soup for dinner
June 7th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Oh dear gods no! I’m one step away from putting my underwear in the freezer! And I live in Colorado Springs, CO which is generally cooler than the rest of the towns around.
I’m dying here. I’m debating if I can get away with only eating ice cream till this weather breaks because I’m too heat exhausted to actually eat, let alone cook.
The bread looks yummy though. I am jealous of your gloomy rainy weather.
June 7th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
This looks delish! I also own the book already, so I am on my way to making it. I am not getting the weather I want – I am a summer girl, and we are in winter, and it is freezing.
June 7th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
How appropriate as I’m sitting here in North Seattle in lots of warm clothes waiting for my husbands hockey game to start! And boy is it cold! That bread looks incredible. Butternut squash is one of my all time favorite foods and I’ll definitely be add the paperback version of the cookbook to my b-day list!
June 7th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
What a hearty loaf of bread – I wish I had a thick slice right now!
June 7th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
I’m bookmarking this recipe to try in the fall. I love fall weather too, but I’m loving the warm weather and great fruit we are finally having here.
June 7th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Glad to see this recipe. My husband is growing butternut squash and I have no idea what to do with it!
June 8th, 2010 at 2:36 am
I made Jamie Oliver’s butternut squash muffins the other day and they taste fabulous.
Am going to try this out one of these days.
June 8th, 2010 at 6:16 am
This bread is perfect for the non-summery weather we are having here too! When is summer going to get here and STAY??
June 8th, 2010 at 9:46 am
Mother Nature is a bit confused arround here too (Portugal). After some gorgeous summer days, we’re back to autumn today. So I guees I’ll take a slice of you bread, sounds perfect for today
June 8th, 2010 at 10:02 am
PS. My mom has made both the morning glory muffins and Sour Cherry Coffee Cake out of that cookbook and both were bit hits!
June 8th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
MMmmmmm! I never met a winter squash I didn’t like. And I eat pumpkin all year! Love this bread!!!
June 9th, 2010 at 7:01 am
Pumpkin / squash bread, its not just for November any more. You’re my type of gal!
June 9th, 2010 at 11:53 am
I just want the weather to make up it’s mind. Cold. Rain. Spring. Summer heat. Just figure it out already!
June 10th, 2010 at 2:37 am
Mmmm this squash bread looks delicious, i agree about how summer should hurry up, it was pouring it down with rainhere in the UK yesterday it was more like winter than summer!!
June 11th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Dallas is plenty warm. That bread looks delicious – I usually have leftover squash since there’s only 2 of us. Yum!
June 12th, 2010 at 11:47 am
I know the feeling with the “summer/fall which one is it?” thing-up here in Alaska it’s been in the 50s, cold and cloudy. Makes me want to open up a jar of Maple Pumpkin Butter that has been staring at me. Maybe I should just take the googly eyes off the jar, or made this bread and use it instead!
June 13th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
I don’t care what the calendar says, I’ll eat pumpkin any time of year! In fact even on the vacation I just took to Greece, I ate lobster and pumpkin risotto one night. So glad those Greeks are on my wavelength too!
June 18th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
The weather has been goofy out here (I live in Portland). I agree with you on not having an extended Summer (Fall is my fave, too). Your squash bread looks great!