My mom got a butternut squash a few weeks back for this recipe, which they have made very successfully in the past. I hadn’t seen it before and was actually very happy to try a yeasted bread on the savory side that calls for squash, as opposed to the usual sweet quick breads. I did make a few little adjustments to the recipe, roasting the squash, using a combination of bread flour and spelt flour, coconut oil in place of vegetable, and quinoa flakes on top of the loaf because I thought they might stick better than our thick-cut oats. I had to add probably an extra cup of flour to get the dough to a non-sticky state, but after that, it rose beautifully and made two huge loaves with a perfect soft texture for sandwiches and toast. I am betting it will make dynamite French toast too!

Tangentially, we had leftover roasted squash after making this bread, so I ran it through my ricer with some cooked potatoes and stirred in some grated Gruyere for a fancy mashed potato side to go with roasted chicken. We had tons leftover (would that be leftover-leftovers?), and I am now eagerly planning potato blinis and eggs for yet another breakfast. 🙂

Butternut-Oatmeal Bread

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
2 packages active dry yeast (4.5 tsp)
1 1/4 C warm water or whey (110F)
5 1/2 to 5 3/4 C bread flour, divided
1/4 C molasses
2 T coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 C plus 2 T rolled oats, divided
Vegetable cooking spray
1 T water

Preheat the oven to 400F and toss the cubed squash on a sheet pan with about a tablespoon of olive or coconut oil. Roast for about 30 minutes until tender, tossing occasionally to get even browning. Allow to cool before mashing or pureeing 1 1/4 C of squash in a food processor; any extra squash can be used however you like!

Combine yeast and warm water in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes. Combine yeast mixture, 3 cups flour, squash, and next 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed two minutes or until smooth. Gradually stir in 1 cup oats and 2 cups flour to make a moderately stiff dough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes), adding enough of remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to keep dough from sticking to hands. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85F), free from drafts, 35 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down; divide in half. Turn 1 potion out onto work surface; knead 4 or 5 times. Roll into a 14-x7-inch rectangle. Roll up, starting at the short side, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch ends to seal. Place dough, seam side down, in a greased 9×5 loaf pan; repeat procedure with remaining dough.

Brush loaves evenly with 1 tablespoon water, and sprinkle each evenly with remaining tablespoons of oats (or use quinoa flakes!). Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 25 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans promptly and cool on a wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves, 16 servings each.

Source: Slightly adapted from Cooking Light Five Star Recipes, pp. 42-43.