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5 from 2 votes

3 Ingredient Pumpkin Bread

This pumpkin bread is crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. It has a texture like a yeast bread but doesn't contain any yeast. It is just 3 ingredients and doesn't require any yeast, eggs, dairy, butter or oil.
Servings: 10 slices
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 8 fl oz (237ml) unflavored sparkling/seltzer water, see note before starting
  • 2/3 cup (151g) pumpkin puree
  • 4 cups (540g) self-rising flour, see note before starting

Instructions
 

  • In a large glass mixing bowl, whisk together the sparking water and pumpkin puree until evenly combined. Add the flour and mix well with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms. If the dough isn’t coming together, add a splash or two of sparkling water until it’s easily combined. You do want the dough to be on the drier side, but all the flour should be incorporated. The dough will get wetter as it rests.
  • If you have a bread proofing container with a lid, you can transfer the dough into it and tightly cover it. Otherwise, you can keep the dough in the glass mixing bowl but make sure to tightly cover it with a lid, plastic wrap or something similar. Keeping the dough covered tightly will prevent the dough from discoloring and will also help it rise better. Let the dough rest and proof for 4-6 hours.
  • About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Place a large Dutch oven (4.3 quarts or bigger) with its lid on in the oven while it preheats. This is important. The dutch oven needs to preheat before adding the bread. See notes section for how to make this bread without a Dutch oven.
  • After the dough has rested, wet your hands with some water. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and then fold it over the center of the dough. Repeat this process from all eight sides of the dough.
  • Lightly flour a work surface with self-rising flour. Carefully turn the dough out onto the floured surface, seam side down. Use a bench scraper or lightly floured hands to rotate and drag the dough towards yourself on the floured surface, until you form a round ball.
  • Place the shaped dough, seam side down, onto a piece of parchment paper.
  • Remove the Dutch oven from the preheated oven. Remove the lid and carefully transfer the parchment paper with the dough into the hot Dutch oven.
  • Put the lid back on and place it back into the oven to bake covered for 40 minutes.
  • After 40 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 400°F (204°C). Remove the lid and continue baking the bread for another 20-30 minutes or until the bread is browned on the surface and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
  • Let bread cool fully before cutting and serving. Store uneaten bread in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Seltzer/sparkling water note: You can use seltzer water or sparkling water. Whichever one you choose, make sure it is one that has carbonation added to it and is very bubbly. The bread relies partially on the carbonation to rise. Don't use a natural sparkling water because some natural ones don't have enough carbonation.
  • Self-rising flour amount. There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup (30g)) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30 g)). Brands like King Arthur Flour and White Lily make the low protein flour. Brands like Gold Medal* and most store/generic brands contain a regular protein amount. The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, you want a flour with a regular amount of protein. Please use a self-rising flour with 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup (30 g). Or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Homemade self-rising flour: Combine 4 cups of all purpose flour, 2 tbsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Whisk to evenly combine. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill. You do not want a high protein flour for this bread. It will be dense and dry.
  • Pumpkin puree: You can use homemade or canned pumpkin puree. I used canned.
  • No Dutch Oven method: A Dutch oven is ideal for baking this bread because it creates a warm, steamy environment that helps the bread expand and develop its crusty exterior. If you don't have a Dutch oven you can still make this bread but you need to create a similar closed environment for the bread. You will need a very large pot/bowl/baking pan that is oven safe at 450F and can fit and cover the bread, with at least 2 extra inches of room on the side and above to allow the bread to expand. When your bread dough is ready, it should be placed on parchment paper lined baking sheet and then covered with your large pot/bowl/baking pan during the first part of baking. The cover is removed for the last part of baking (just like the lid is removed off the Dutch oven).
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 166kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 566mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 1g, NET CARBS: 36
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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