About this recipe

A moist, warmly spiced pumpkin bread that's been perfected for the home baker. This one-bowl quick bread is tender and rich with real pumpkin flavor, fragrant cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It bakes up with a beautiful domed top and a crackly crust — and somehow tastes even better the next day. Perfect for fall mornings, holiday gifting, or anytime you need a reliable crowd-pleaser.

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to ![350°F]. Grease a loaf pan generously with softened butter, making sure to coat the corners and sides well. You can also line the bottom with a strip of parchment paper for easy removal.

2. 2

   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, vegetable oil, water, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and pure vanilla extract until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute.

3. 3

   Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, fine salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger directly to the wet ingredient bowl. Using a spatula, fold everything together until just combined — stop as soon as you no longer see dry streaks of flour. Do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine.

4. 4

   If using, gently fold in the chopped walnuts / pecans and/or chocolate chips with a few strokes of the spatula.

5. 5

   Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Give the pan a gentle tap on the counter to release any large air bubbles.

6. 6

   Bake on the center rack for 60–70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). If the top is browning too quickly after 45 minutes, loosely tent it with a piece of aluminum foil.

7. 7

   Remove the pan from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then run a butter knife around the edges, turn the loaf out onto the rack, and let it cool completely — at least 1 hour — before slicing. Cutting too early will result in a gummy interior.