This bread is just delicious and perfect for the dark nights that are creeping into our lives.  Eaten plain or with butter or with cranberry jam it is the quintessential autumn not-too-sweet bread.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread (with Cranberries and Pumpkin Seeds)

Adapted from ARTISAN BREAD IN 5 MINUTES A DAY

1/2 cup pureed pie pumpkin (often called 'culinary pumpkin'...smaller and not as watery as their bloated Jack-o-Lantern cousins.  You can get tins of pumpkin puree at Waitrose, according to Violet Posy, or roast your own, by cutting in half stem wise and roasting in a hot oven until soft.  When cooked, allow to cool a bit, scoop out the seeds and pulp and discard.  Peel off the skin and mash or puree the pumpkin flesh.  One small pumpkin yields about 2 cups of puree)

1 cup warm water

2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast (one packet)

1 teaspoon of salt

2.5 Tablespoons of melted butter

1/4 cup of honey

1/4 cup of prorridge oats

3/4 cup wholewheat or brown flour

2 cups plain flour

Optional:

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1. Mix the yeast, salt water melted butter and honey in a large bowl

2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients

3. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature for about 2 hours (At this stage the dough can be refrigerated for up to a week)

4. Optional: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle and sprinkle 1/4 cup of dried cranberries and 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds over the surface.  Use just enough flour on the dough when handling it so that it doesn't stick. When the seeds are spread, fold the dough over and work the seeds into the dough.

5. Let it rise for 40 minutes. (If you are using refrigerated dough, the dough will need to rest for about 2 hours at room temperature before you bake it.)

6.When you are ready to bake, grease a 2lb bread loaf tin and heat the oven to 350F/180C Bake for 40-50 minutes.  For an extra crunchy crust, place a baking pan in the bottom of the oven when preheating.  After you put the bread in, pour a cup of hot water in the broiler pan to help steam the bread.

Enjoy and have a nice weekend!