Pumpkin Sourdough Bread
It’s fall, the leaves are changing, people are pulling plaid out of the back of their closets.
Starbucks line ups are getting longer, and everything.is.pumpkin.
I’m not above admitting that I can get behind a good pumpkin spice craze.
But I like my pumpkin with a side of carbs!
This pumpkin sourdough bread is dedicated to plaid!
Tips + Tricks
No. 1–> This recipe is written with a room temperature bulk ferment but this dough can easily be proofed in the fridge to help the baking fit into your schedule.
No. 2 –> Once I’ve preshaped my loaf and placed it on the parchment paper, I like to set it in a pot that is roughly the same size as the dutch oven I’m using.
No. 3–> Grab a shower cap at the drugstore next time you’re out! I use my polka-dotted shower cap a few times a week while making sourdough. It’s a great, reusable cover for proofing sourdough.
How To Make Pumpkin Sourdough Bread
–> Printable recipe card at the bottom of the post
Feed The Starter:
- Combine 60g hungry sourdough starter with 60g water, and 60g bread flour.
- Stir until the starter is completely combined, then set aside to rise.
- Once the starter has at least doubled in size and is full of bubbles, it is ready to use.
Start The Dough:
- Combine 100g active starter with 240g water and 200g pumpkin puree, stirring until smooth and mostly combined. Add in 500g bread flour, mixing until all the flour is incorporated. I usually stir with a spoon until the dough is too thick, then I switch to a bowl scraper to help lift and fold the dough to incorporate all the flour. Cover and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle 10g of salt over the sourdough, then perform a series of stretches and folds: with wet hands, grab the dough and gently pull it until the flap is long enough to fold over itself, then fold the flap, rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 4 times. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold process once more. Recover at set aside for 30 minutes.
- Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup dried cranberries and 1 1/2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the dough. Complete 1 last stretch and fold to incorporate the added mixture. Less folding in the sugar mixture will result in pronounced ribbons as pictured above, more folding in will result in a more homogenized dough mixture.
Bulk Ferment + Pre-shape:
- Cover the dough and set it aside to bulk ferment for 10-12 hours, or until it doubles in size. You’ll see in the photos that I use a pot for my bulk ferment. This pot is almost exactly the same size as my 3 qt dutch oven so I love to use it for all my proofing.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a floured surface and pre-shape the loaf into your desired shape, place it seam side down on a piece of parchment paper. Cover and allow to rise for another 60-120 minutes.
Bake:
- While the dough is finishing the final rise, place a cast iron dutch oven into the cold oven and preheat together at 475f.
- Once the oven is heated, score your loaf as desired. Lift with the parchment paper as handles and lower into the preheated dutch oven.
- Bake the pumpkin sourdough at 475f covered for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue to bake until the crust has darkened, another 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the sourdough from the dutch oven and cool on a wire mesh cooling rack until room temperature before slicing.
Baker’s Schedule
Here’s an example of my schedule for baking this irresistible pumpkin sourdough bread!
- Day 1 –>
- 12 pm: Feed my starter room temperature or cooler water. Set aside in a cooler place to activate.
- 7 pm: Mix up the dough for pumpkin sourdough bread.
- 8:30 pm: The stretching and folding process is complete, the sugar, cranberries, and pumpkin pie spice have been incorporated. Cover and set aside to rise for 10-12 hours, or until doubled.
- Day 2 –>
- 8 am: Turn the dough onto a floured surface, form into a boule and place seam side down on a piece of parchment paper. Place the boule into a bowl similar in size to your dutch oven. Cover and rise for 60-120 minutes.
- 9:30 am: Set my favorite small dutch oven into the cold oven and preheat both together at 475f.
- 10 am: Uncover and carefully score the surface of your boule. Then remove the dutch oven from the oven, and using the parchment paper as a sling, lower the boule into the dutch oven. Recover then bake as per the recipe.
Batch + Storage Information
BATCH:
This recipe bakes a nice-sized loaf of pumpkin sourdough bread. This is the perfect amount for our family of 4 to serve with breakfast for at least 2 days.
STORAGE:
If you’ve got leftover sourdough, you’ve got serious willpower!
Your boule can be kept cut side down on a cutting board for up to 12 hours before the crust becomes too crisp. I recommend transferring it to a bread bag once cooled.
Your sourdough loaf can also be frozen. To freeze, cool the loaf to room temperature, then tightly wrap in plastic wrap, slide it into a bread bag, seal it up and stick it in the freezer for 1-2 months. To use after freezing, remove the loaf from the freezer, unwrap and allow to come to room temperature (1 -2 hours) before slicing and enjoying.
Pumpkin Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- 200 g pumpkin puree
- 240 g room temperature water
- 500 g bread flour
- 10 g coarse kosher salt
- 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
- 1 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
-
Combine 100g active starter 240g water, and mix until mostly combined. Add in 200g pumpkin puree, stirring until smooth. Add in 500g bread flour, mixing until all the flour is incorporated. Cover and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
-
Sprinkle 10g of salt over the sourdough, then perform a series of stretches and folds: with wet hands, grab the dough and gently pull it until the flap is long enough to fold over itself, then fold the flap, rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 4 times. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold process 3 times total.
-
Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup dried cranberries and 1 1/2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the dough. Complete 1 last stretch and fold to incorporate the added mixture. Less folding in the sugar mixture will result in pronounced ribbons as pictured above, more folding in will result in a more homogenized dough mixture.
-
Cover the dough and set it aside to bulk ferment for 10-12 hours, or until it doubles.
-
Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a floured surface and pre-shape the loaf into your desired shape, place it seam side down on a piece of parchment paper. Cover and allow to rise for another 60-120 minutes.
-
While the dough is finishing the final rise, place a cast iron dutch oven into the cold oven and preheat together at 475f.
-
Once the oven is heated, score your loaf as desired. Lift with the parchment paper as handles and lower into the preheated dutch oven.
-
Bake the pumpkin sourdough at 475f covered for 30 minutes.
-
Remove the lid and continue to bake until the crust has darkened, another 15-20 minutes.
-
Remove the sourdough from the dutch oven and cool on a wire mesh cooling rack until room temperature before slicing.
Notes
BATCH:
This recipe bakes a nice-sized loaf of pumpkin sourdough bread. This is the perfect amount for our family of 4 to serve with breakfast for at least 2 days.
STORAGE:
Your boule can be kept cut side down on a cutting board for up to 12 hours before the crust becomes too crisp. I recommend transferring it to a bread bag once cooled.
Your sourdough loaf can also be frozen. To freeze, cool the loaf to room temperature, then tightly wrap in plastic wrap, slide it into a bread bag, seal it up and stick it in the freezer for 1-2 months. To use after freezing, remove the loaf from the freezer, unwrap and allow to come to room temperature (1 -2 hours) before slicing and enjoying.
baker’s schedule
Here’s an example of my schedule for baking this irresistible pumpkin sourdough bread!
- Day 1 –>12 pm: Feed my starter room temperature or cooler water. Set aside in a cooler place to activate.7 pm: Mix up the dough for pumpkin sourdough bread.8:30 pm: The stretching and folding process is complete, the sugar, cranberries, and pumpkin pie spice have been incorporated. Cover and set aside to rise for 10-12 hours, or until doubled.
- Day 2 –>8 am: Turn the dough onto a floured surface, form into a boule and place seam side down on a piece of parchment paper. Place the boule into a bowl similar in size to your dutch oven. Cover and rise for 60-120 minutes.9:30 pm: Set my favorite small dutch oven into the cold oven and preheat both together at 475f.10 am: Uncover and carefully score the surface of your boule. Then remove the dutch oven from the oven, and using the parchment paper as a sling, lower the boule into the dutch oven. Recover then bake as per the recipe.
Nutrition