Pumpkin Focaccia: A Quiet Ode to Autumn
- Made al Dente
- Jul 1
- 4 min read
A softly spiced focaccia made with roasted pumpkin, cinnamon, and olive oil — baked on a quiet November afternoon in the hills of the Oltrepò Pavese. Inspired by the warm, fragrant slice of Pan dei Morti tasted in Pavia just after All Saints Day, this bread carries the calm of the season and the sweetness of stillness.
The sky outside was the kind of grey that asks nothing of you — still, soft, suspended. It was a Saturday in early November, the week after Ognissanti (All Saints Day), and I’d just returned from a short walk through the centre of Pavia. The windows of the pasticcerie glowed golden with trays of seasonal sweets — oss da mort, torrone morbido, and pan dei morti — that dense, spiced, raisin-studded bread that tastes like chestnuts and memory.
There was something about the scent of that slice I ate in the cold air outside a café — cinnamon, dried fruit, the dark hum of allspice — that followed me back home and didn’t let go.
In the quiet of my kitchen in the Oltrepò Pavese, I roasted a small pumpkin, the kind with deep orange flesh and sweet perfume. The house was still. The only sounds were the soft rustle of rising dough, the tick of the wall clock, and the occasional sigh of wind under the door.
I didn’t want a cake. I didn’t want something fussy. What I wanted was focaccia — but softer, sweet-leaning, touched by autumn. Something between bread and memory.
I mashed the roasted pumpkin into a golden purée and folded it into a simple, well-hydrated dough — just strong flour, water, salt, yeast, and olive oil. A touch of sugar, yes, and spices — cinnamon for warmth, allspice for depth. The dough felt soft under my hands, elastic and alive.
As it rested, the house filled with that sweet, faintly spiced scent. The dough rose slowly in the quiet — almost meditatively — until it billowed, ready to be dimpled and baked.
It emerged from the oven bronzed and blistered, with crisp edges and a soft crumb that tasted of toasted squash and spice. I brushed it lightly with honey while it was still warm — not to make it sticky, but to give it a gloss, a whisper of sweetness. It didn’t need anything more.
That afternoon, eaten in slices with hot tea and a book half-read, it felt like something whole. A bread that wasn’t really dessert, nor quite savoury. A focaccia shaped by memory, season, and the steady rhythm of my own kitchen.
Notes for the Cook
SERVES: 6 | PREP TIME: 20 minutes (plus rising) | TOTAL TIME: 3 1/2 hours
Ingredients
Dough:
Strong bread flour – 300g (2½ cups)
Roasted pumpkin purée – 150g (a bit over ½ cup)
Warm water – 120ml (½ cup), more if needed
Active dry yeast – 5g (1½ tsp)
Fine salt – 6g (1 tsp)
Sugar – 1 tbsp
Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tbsp
Ground cinnamon – ½ tsp
Ground allspice – ¼ tsp
For topping:
Extra virgin olive oil – for brushing
Honey – 1 tbsp, warmed
Flaky salt – optional, a light sprinkle
Quick Steps
Make the pumpkin purée:Roast cubed pumpkin at 180°C (350°F) until soft (25–30 mins). Mash or blend until smooth. Let cool.
Activate the yeast:In a small bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5–10 mins until frothy.
Mix the dough:In a large bowl, combine flour, spices, and salt. Add pumpkin purée, yeast mixture, and olive oil. Mix to form a sticky dough.
Knead & rise:Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 8–10 mins until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1½ to 2 hours, or until doubled.
Second rise in pan:Oil a small baking pan (approx. 20x25 cm). Stretch the dough into the pan, dimple the surface gently with your fingers, drizzle with olive oil, and let rise again (45–60 mins).
Bake:Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for 20–25 mins, until golden brown and crisp on top.
Finish:While warm, brush lightly with warmed honey and sprinkle with flaky salt if using. Cool slightly before slicing.
Top Tips
For more sweetness: Add chopped raisins or bits of dried fig into the dough.
Make it richer: Use butter instead of olive oil in the dough for a more brioche-like texture.
Storage: Keeps well for 2 days. Best eaten slightly warm or toasted with butter.
Did you know
Focaccia originates from Liguria, but its form changes across Italy — sweet versions, like this one, are starting to become more and more common around holidays.
Pumpkin in Italian baking, especially in northern regions like Lombardy and Veneto, often appears in gnocchi, tortelli, and festive breads.
Spices like cinnamon and allspice are historically linked to Ognissanti and Pan dei Morti, desserts tied to memory and the passing seasons.
