Go Back Email Link

Butternut Squash and Pepita Pull-Apart Breadsticks

There’s nothing better to welcome loved ones around the table than the aroma of freshly baked bread. These tear-and-share breadsticks get their golden hue from butternut squash, their pillowy-soft texture from Platinum Yeast, and their satisfying crunch from savory pepitas. 
Butternut Squash and Pepita Breadsticks

Ingredients

Butternut Squash Purée

  • 1 medium butternut squash (see note 1)
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) vegetable oil

Dough

  • 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups (438 to 469g) all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons (7.5g) kosher salt (see note 2)
  • 1 (0.25-ounce) package (7g) Platinum Yeast
  • 1 teaspoon (2g) onion powder
  • 1/2 cup (120g) water
  • 1/4 cup (60g) whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup (162g) puréed cooked butternut squash

Egg wash

  • 1 tablespoon (15g) water
  • 1 large (50g) egg

Topping

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons (25g) pepitas, coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon (3g) flaked sea salt

Instructions

  • Make the butternut purée: Halve and seed a medium butternut squash and rub 1 tablespoon (14 grams) vegetable oil onto cut sides. Bake, cut side down, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 375°F (190°C) until tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool completely, cut side up, on pan. Scoop squash into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until almost smooth, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. (Alternatively, mash using a potato masher.) Reserve any leftover purée for another use.
  • Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 1 cup (125 grams) flour, sugar, kosher salt, yeast, and onion powder by hand until combined.
  • In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup (120 grams) water, milk, and butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F (49°C) to 130°F (54°C).
    Add warm milk mixture to flour mixture; using the paddle attachment, beat at medium speed for 1 minute, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add puréed butternut squash; beat just until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer on low speed, gradually add 2½ cups (313 grams) flour, beating just until combined.
  • Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at medium-low speed until a soft, somewhat sticky dough forms, 17 to 20 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl and dough hook; add up to remaining ¼ cup (31 grams) flour, 1 tablespoon (8 grams) at a time, if dough is too sticky. (Dough will mostly pull away from sides of bowl.) Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and shape into a ball.
  • Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
  • Punch down dough; turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 portions (about 110 grams each), and shape into rounds. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
  • Lightly spray a 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray with flour. Line pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll or flatten each portion of dough into an 8x5-inch rectangle. Starting at one long side, roll each rectangle into a log, pinching seam to seal. Place, seam side down, in prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed and fills pan, 30 to 45 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Egg wash/Topping: In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water; brush onto dough. Sprinkle pepitas and sea salt evenly over the on top.
  • Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers at least 190°F (88°C), about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using excess parchment as handles, remove from pan. Serve warm.

Notes

  1. A medium butternut squash weighs about 2 pounds. Alternatively, you can use approximately 16oz. of prepared or 10oz. frozen cubed butternut squash.
  2. Salt weight and volume vary by brand. Diamond Crystal kosher salt was used in this recipe (1 tablespoon is 9 grams). If you a have different brand or type of salt, use the weight listed in the recipe, not the volume measurement. If you do not have a scale, check your brand’s website for what the equivalent volume measurement is for the weight listed in this recipe.
 
Recipe by Bake From Scratch.