Makes 1 loaf
THIS RECIPE is the bread form of warm and cozy. I created it on a particularly cold, dark, and dreary New York City day. You know those days when you want to just hunker down with a warm blanket, a cup of tea, and a slice of good bread? This is the remedy for those days. I like to make it in the fall, when autumn squashes are at their peak. It isn’t very sweet, but it’s not savory either. It’s somewhere in the middle, which makes it perfect for any meal or snack, especially breakfast. Enjoy plain or toasted, with honey, jam, coconut butter, nut butter, the Honey Butter here—or any butter you can dream up. You could even serve it warm with nondairy ice cream for a dessert treat. To make it even more dessert-like, add 1 cup nondairy chocolate chips to the batter and/or drizzle the top of the loaf with 2 tablespoons real maple syrup before baking. If you like, toast the pecans for a few minutes in a skillet on the stove before adding to the batter to make them even more flavorful. You can also eliminate the nuts if you have an allergy, or want to be kinder to your digestion.
1 cup Jennifer’s Way Bakery All-Purpose Flour Mix (purchased or here)
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
½ very ripe banana
½ cup real maple syrup
⅓ cup coconut oil or palm shortening
¼ cup plain coconut yogurt (or other nondairy yogurt), no added fruit or sweetener
½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk (or nondairy milk of choice)
⅓ cup chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment (or lightly coat it with coconut oil and sprinkle my all-purpose flour or buckwheat flour lightly over the bottom and sides).
Peel the squash and cut it into cubes. (To make this a little easier, first pierce the squash all over and put it in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.) Place the squash on the lined baking sheet and roast until a fork goes through easily, about 40 minutes, depending on how big your cubes are. Set aside to cool.
When cool enough to handle, put the squash in a ziplock bag and squeeze together to mash up. Measure out 1 cup. Refrigerate the remainder to use for another recipe (or just to warm up and eat later for a snack).
In a small bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (through salt) and whisk out any lumps. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the roasted squash, banana, maple syrup, coconut oil, and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients, mixing a little at a time and alternating with the coconut milk. Combine until all the ingredients are mixed well. If the dough seems too dry, add another tablespoon of coconut milk. Fold in the pecans.
Place the dough in the lined loaf pan. Lightly wet your hands with water and smooth out the top of the dough. Bake in the 375°F oven for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool on a cooling rack for at least 40 minutes.