Pumpkin star bread

Method

• step 1

  Warm the milk in a small pan over a low heat until just steaming. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter to melt, then add 180g pumpkin purée. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a stand mixer. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, then knead using a dough hook on a medium speed for 5-6 mins. Or, do this by hand for 10 mins. Cover and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.

• step 2

  Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Mix the rest of the pumpkin purée with the cheese, rosemary and plenty of black pepper.

• step 3

  Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll into balls. Roll each one out into a 25cm circle on a lightly floured surface. Put one dough circle on the baking sheet and spread over a third of the pumpkin filling, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Top with another circle of dough and another third of the filling, repeat, then top with the final dough circle. Use a 10cm round cutter to score a circle into the middle of the dough stack. Slice the stack into 16 equal strips up to the edge of the scored circle. Working with two strips at a time, twist the strips in opposite directions, then pinch the ends together. Repeat all the way around to make an eight-pointed star.

• step 4

  Cover and leave to prove for 1 hr until puffed up, then bake for 25-35 mins until risen, firm and golden.