Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

Name: Pumpkin Sourdough Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 12 h 55 min
Yield: 12 slices
Ingredients: 50 g starter; 50 g flour; 50 g water; 100 g starter; 300 g water; 100 g pumpkin puree; 3 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp pumpkin spice; 2 tsp Turmeric; 12 g sea salt; 500 g bread flour; 3 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp olive oil; rice flour

User Reviews

4.7

52 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Additional Time
12 hrs
Total Time
12 hrs 55 mins
Servings
12 slices
Calories
173 kcal
Course
Bread
Cuisine
European

Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

Shawn Wheeler

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Pumpkin Sourdough Bread integrates natural sourdough starter with pumpkin purée, honey, and spices like pumpkin spice and turmeric, contributing subtle sweetness and color. The dough is kneaded, rested, and folded to build gluten structure, then shaped and baked for a loaf with seasonal flavor nuances and a tender crumb.

Description

This Pumpkin Sourdough Bread begins with feeding a mature, active sourdough starter and mixing it with water, canned pumpkin purée, honey or maple syrup, and spices including pumpkin spice and ground turmeric for both flavor and color. Sea salt and bread flour are added to form a shaggy, slightly sticky dough that is rested briefly before undergoing a series of stretch and folds every 30 minutes over two hours.

The dough is then transferred to an oiled bowl, covered, and allowed to rise at room temperature or in the fridge depending on the ambient temperature, until it has risen adequately. Shaping involves folding the dough and optionally using kitchen string to create a pumpkin shape. The dough is placed into a banneton basket or bowl dusted with rice or gluten-free flour for the final rise.

Baking typically involves turning out the risen dough onto parchment paper and baking in a Dutch oven or similar for best crust development. The finished bread has subtle sweetness from honey, aromatic spices, and a moist crumb, keeping well for several days at room temperature and suitable for slicing and toasting from frozen.

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Ingredients

Servings

For your starter

50 g starter room temperature, mature, scant ¼ cup
50 g flour scant ¼ cup
50 g water filtered, bottled or boiled and cooled tap water, tepid, scant ¼ cup

For the sourdough loaf

100 g starter most of the starter you prepared earlier, active, 3 ½ oz
300 g water filtered, bottled or boiled and cooled tap water, quantity 1 ¼ cups
100 g pumpkin puree canned, 3 ½ oz
3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp pumpkin spice
2 tsp Turmeric this adds color, ground
12 g sea salt 2 scant teaspoons
500 g bread flour more as needed, white
3 tbsp olive oil for the bowl
3 tbsp olive oil for the kitchen string, or vegetable oil
rice flour for the bowl or banetton, as needed, or gluten free flour

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Instructions

Keep Screen Awake

Feed Your Sourdough Starter

Feed your mature starter. Leave for 4-6 hours, or until doubled in size, bubbly and floating in water (float test).

Prepare The Dough

Mix the starter and water together in a large bowl.
Add the pumpkin, spices, salt and honey. Mix well.
Add the bread flour and mix well with the dough whisk or your hands. It’s easier to have a feel for the dough if you use your hands. You will have a shaggy, slightly sticky dough. Cover the bowl and leave to rest for half an hour.

Stretch and Fold

Pull a section of the dough from the underside and stretch it upwards. Fold this over the rest of the dough. Rotate the bowl as you do this so you stretch the entire dough. You can do this a few times – every 30 minutes for two hours or just the once.
Transfer the dough into an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 6-10 hours. If it is a hot night then place the dough in the fridge where it will need 10-12 hours.

Shape The Sourdough

The following day take a look at your dough - it should have almost doubled. Mist your worktop with water and scrape the dough onto it – do not punch the dough down. Gently stretch the dough to form a rectangle.
Fold into three sections, like a letter. Roll the dough into a tight ball.
Flip over, seam side down, and shape into a round loaf (known as a “boule”). Use your hands and a bench scraper to roll the loaf in your hands, slightly tucking the edges under as you go (please check the video for a demo).

Second Rise

Line a bowl or basket with baking paper and lightly dust the paper and your loaf with gluten free flour or rice flour to prevent the bread from sticking to the paper. Cup the loaf in your hands and place into the prepared bowl seam side down.
Leave the dough to rise again for 30-120 minutes. Check your dough is ready to bake by gently prodding with a finger. If the indent springs back slowly leaving a small dent then you are ready to bake. If it springs back really quickly you need to allow it to rise for a little longer.

Shape your loaf

Cut four pieces of cotton string, about 24 inches long. Dip the string in vegetable oil and run between your fingers to get rid of excess oil. Position the strings on top of a round piece of parchment paper (cut so that it fits your Dutch Oven).
Place the loaf in the centre and tie the strings (not too tightly, to allow for the bread to expand as it bakes) over the loaf so that it is divided into eight equal sections.
Cut any excess string. Use a razor to slice the loaf in whatever pattern you like. I found the relatively shallow cuts are better for this tied up loaf.

Bake your Sourdough

Preheat your oven to 450F (230C) half an hour before the end of proving. Place a lidded pot (Dutch Oven) in the oven to preheat.
Remove the pot from the oven using pot holders (please be very careful). Place the loaf into the pot, lifting it by the baking paper.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 425F (220C). Take the lid off the pot and cook for another 20-25 minutes. You can lift the bread out of the pot and cook directly on the oven shelf for the final 5 minutes.
Leave the bread to cool, uncovered, for at least an hour or until it no longer feels warm to the touch. Remove the strings and boast about your pumpkin shaped sourdough!

Notes

Use digital scales for best measurement accuracy; volume measures provided but weighing ingredients yields better results.
Prepare a banneton or bowl dusted well with rice or gluten-free flour to prevent sticking during the final rise.
A sharp blade or lame is useful for scoring the loaf before baking to control expansion.
Bake in a Dutch oven or covered pot to develop crust; use a bench scraper and spray bottle to handle dough and maintain hydration during shaping.
Store cooled bread wrapped in a clean tea towel at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Slice and freeze bread for later; toast slices directly from frozen.
Use canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling) to avoid added sugars and spices.
Honey or maple syrup adds subtle sweetness without making the loaf sweet like a dessert bread.

Nutrition Information

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Calories 173kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 35g (12%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 390mg (16%) Potassium 47mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Calcium 6mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)