00:06Hi everyone, it's Yuto from sudachirecipes.com and today I'm gonna show you how to make this
00:11delicious spiced pumpkin bread using Japanese kabocha. It's not strictly a Japanese recipe,
00:17but it's so good and perfect for autumn. This recipe makes one small loaf, so let's get started.
00:23I'm gonna start by preparing my kabocha. This piece is a bit more than what I need,
00:28it's about 330 grams. I'm just gonna scoop out the seeds and peel off the skin. Kabocha is a type
00:36of Japanese winter squash. It tastes kind of like a cross between a pumpkin and a sweet potato.
00:43Some people compare it to a butternut squash too.
00:53The skin is quite thick and many people use a knife to peel it,
00:57but I find that I waste a lot of the edible parts so I'll just use a strong potato peeler.
01:06In Japan, we use kabocha for many different kinds of recipes. It's a common ingredient for both sweet
01:12and savory dishes. We use it for things like purine, mont blanc, tempura and side dishes.
01:25Once you're done, check the weight. I recommend between 170 and 240 grams of kabocha for this recipe,
01:34depending on how strong you want the pumpkin taste to be. I like to cut off a few pieces to
01:39use for tempura.
01:54Next, we cut it up into small pieces and put it into a microwave or bowl. I recommend cutting it
02:00up
02:00pretty small because it will cook faster in the microwave. Make sure you use a sharp knife for this
02:06and be careful because roca potter is quite hard.
02:36I also add half tablespoon of water and then cover it
02:40in plastic wrap so that it doesn't dry out and it kind of steams in a bowl.
02:51We're going to microwave this kabocha for four minutes on 600 watts.
02:58Okay, be careful when removing the plastic wrap because you can get burnt
03:04by the steam. I'm just going to use potato masher and make the cobble chain to pumpkin puree.
03:11You can use a food processor if you want it to be extra smooth,
03:15but I find potato masher does a perfectly good job and it's easier to clean after.
03:25Once it looks smooth like this, set aside and let it cool.
03:30In the meantime, I'm going to preheat my oven to 160 degrees Celsius, that's 320 degrees Fahrenheit,
03:37and then prepare the other ingredients.
03:44So take a large bowl and sift in 140 grams of plain flour. This is just to remove any lumps.
04:03Next, add half teaspoon of baking soda, half teaspoon of cinnamon and half teaspoon of ground ginger.
04:10You can add a bit of nutmeg and clove if you like extra spice, but I'm keeping it simple.
04:16Mix it around until everything is well incorporated.
04:23I'm also going to add a pinch of salt and mix that in too.
04:30Okay, that's all our dry ingredients ready, so set that aside for later.
04:39Next, I've got another bowl and I'm adding 135 grams of light brown sugar and one egg.
04:50Just whisk them together until the sugar is dissolved.
04:54Some people like to use an electric whisk here, and you can if you like, but the thing I like
05:00about
05:00this recipe is you can make it without getting any equipment out. It's easy to make completely by hand.
05:09It's easy to make it without getting any equipment out of it.
05:10Okay, once it's smooth like this, add your kabocha. It might still be warm,
05:14but as long as you can touch it, that's okay. Just make sure it's not hot, because if it is,
05:20it might cook the eggs. Mix it until it's smooth.
05:25Japanese kabocha is perfect for things like pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie. It's nicely sweet,
05:31has a good pumpkin flavour and the colour is quite a vibrant orange.
05:36If you can't find kabocha in your country, of course, you can still make this recipe with half
05:41a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree. For me, pumpkin puree is something that's very difficult to find
05:47in Japan. Next, fold in the dry ingredients like this. You can just put it all in at once.
05:54Just make sure to mix it thoroughly. You shouldn't be able to see any bits of dry flour.
06:17Lastly, I'm going to pour in 70 grams of melted unsalted butter.
06:22Some people like to use oil, but I like using butter as it gives it a richer taste.
06:27Mix it well until the butter is combined with the mixture.
06:34That's done, so let's transfer it to a loaf tin.
06:37I'm using a pretty small tin here. It's 18 by 8 centimetres, which is 7 by 3 inches.
06:45This size fits about 2 cups of mixture.
06:48If you have large loaf tin, you can double or triple the recipe. I've put the ingredients list
06:54and loaf tin measurements in the description for you. Just be aware that a bigger loaf needs longer to cook.
07:03Finally, I'm going to sprinkle some sugar over the top. I'm using a type of Japanese sugar called
07:08Zarame. It has large crystals and doesn't melt too easily. This is going to become crunchy on the top.
07:15You can also use Demerara sugar instead.
07:20And I'm also adding some pumpkin seeds for a bit of extra texture.
07:23You could use crushed walnuts or something too, if you like.
07:29Place it in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. I like to check it with a toothpick at
07:3545 minutes
07:36and then keep checking it every 3 to 5 minutes. It's important not to overcook this pumpkin loaf.
07:43We don't want it to be too dry.
07:45Okay, this was in the oven for 48 minutes in total. The toothpick doesn't need to be perfectly clean.
07:52A few moist crumbs is a good sign. Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then
07:58remove it from the tin.
08:01I recommend eating it warm. If you have leftovers, keep it in an airtight container.
08:07It will last for 2 days at room temperature or about a week in the fridge. Alternatively, you could freeze
08:14it for up to 3 months.
08:18This loaf is delicious toasted and spread with butter or honey.
08:23So that's it, delicious spiced pumpkin bread made with Japanese kabocha.
08:31If you like baked sweets with a Japanese twist, check out my matcha brownie video next.
08:37And if you're interested in Japanese recipes, make sure to subscribe to my channel.
08:41Thanks so much for watching. Have a great day.
