Amazing Pumpkin Sourdough Bread
Its time for another sweet fall recipe! This is a favorite sourdough recipe of ours. This amazing pumpkin sourdough bread is slightly sweet, with a tender pumpkin flavor and spicy cinnamon sugar ribbons throughout.
As soon as the weather starts to show any sign of fall, my kids start begging for pumpkin treats. I make pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cake, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin waffles and more. Some of these are sourdough recipes and some are not. Sometimes we want something a little less overwhelming sweet and this pumpkin sourdough bread is the perfect treat.
We love to use this to make pumpkin french toast, and it is so good simply toasted with a cinnamon honey butter.
It is so fun to shape this bread like a real pumpkin. You can also make a handful of mini pumpkin loafs, as I have done. I like to split the dough in half and shape on as a larger loaf and then divide the rest into smaller balls to make mini pumpkin shaped loafs.
Arent they cute? I sure think so.
This bread is simple to make. By taking my standard sourdough bread recipe, I was able to adjust it by adding certain ingredients like honey, pumpkin and cinnamon to make it sweet and spicy.
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Get my pumpkin sourdough bread recipe below!
Pumpkin Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 625 grams bread flour about 4 cups (possibly more if it is too sticky)
- 120 grams active sourdough starter about 1 cup
- 10 grams salt about 1 3/4 teaspoon
- 450 gram water about 1 1/2 cup
- 30 grams honey
- 40 grams pumpkin puree You can drain your pumpkin puree a bit to avoid a wetter dough.
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Swirl Filling
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp flour the flour will help the filling from oozing
- 1/4 tsp cloves, allspice, ginger and nutmeg You can also use 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice.
Instructions
- To begin this bread, you need to set aside about 1 hour at least to take the time to knead and let the dough rest. The rest of the time will be more passive time.
- This recipe only has a small amount of active effort. You need to let the dough sit and take its time. You also need to plan time for this bread. It needs at least 12 hours in the fridge and at the least 3 on the counter.
- What I like to do is to start this dough in the afternoon around 1. I can get all the kneading in by 1:30 and then it needs some rest time. After that it will be sitting in the fridge overnight.
- Take your sourdough start, water and flour and put them in a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon or dough spoon to mix the ingredients together.
- It will begin to be too sticky and dense to manage with a spoon. Let this sit for one hour. This is the autolyse stage. Once the hour has passed you will add the salt, pumpkin, cinnamon, and honey and let it sit another 30 minutes.
- Now you will do your first stretch and fold or coil fold. There are two different options. You can stretch and fold which means you pull the dough up from one corner and stretch it and then fold it over the top fo the dough, rotate and do the same action 4 times for the dough.Coil fold is where you lift the dough from underneath with two hands, pulling the dough up and then folding it down in half on itself as you let it back down. I You then rotate the bowl and repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl each time.`
- Let the dough rest another 30 minutes and repeat the coil fold or stretch and fold. (having wet hands makes this so much easier)
- Repeat this 3 -4 more times. You can do it up to 6 times.
- Once you are at this point you will notice the dough has a very different texture and should be very jiggly.
- Once it had doubled in size, its time to shape your dough and prepare it for the fridge! This will make one large loaf or two smaller loaves.
- You want to pour your dough onto a clean surface. Spread it out into a rectangle shape. Spread an even layer of the filling on the rectangle(keep a small amount out). Fold it in thirds and then add the remaining filling onto the top of the dough and then roll up the dough. Begin shaping it into a ball. Turn the dough while pulling it toward you. Turn it into a clockwise direction. Once it is shaped in a ball, its time to store it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Get your proofing basket ready. You can use a regular large mixing bowl, but it is recommended to use a bread banneton proofing basket. **If you want to create a pumpkin shape to the dough, get some twine and cut three long pieces. Tie them together in the center.Lay it on the counter and spread the twine pieces out evenly spaced. Place the bottom of the dough onto the center of the twine knot. Carefully bring opposite sides of the twine up and tie them at the top of the dough, you want it to be firm but not tight on the dough. Repeat this until all the twine pieces are tied together, and they are evenly spaced on the bread, so that when it is baked, the dough will rise between the spaces creating that pumpkin look.Once the bread is baked you can cut the strings and remove. Add a cinnamon stick in the center to resemble a stem.
- If you use a bowl, line it with a towel, and flour the towel heavily to prevent the dough from sticking. I like to use wheat flour for this because it tends to not absorb into the dough.
- If you use a bread banneton basket, flour its as well. I like to use rice flour.
- Take the dough and lift it up, flip it over and put the finished side of the dough down into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and use a rubber band to secure the plastic wrap around the bowl.
- Put the bowl in the fridge and let it sit in there for at least 12 hours. You can go as far as 24 hours.
- When you are ready, take the bowl out of the fridge and let the dough sit on the counter for about an hour. I like to let the oven preheat to 450 degrees while this is happening. Put your dutch oven in the oven to preheat with the oven. You want your pan to be hot.
- Lay out some parchment paper, and take the dough gently out of the bowl and flip it over so the smooth side of the dough is on top. Lay it on the parchment paper
- Cut some slits or designs in the dough to allow for more of a rise. I like to make a swirl. You can use a scoring lame or a sharp knife.
- Immediately take your hot dutch oven out of the oven and take hold of the parchment paper with the dough. Put it inside the dutch oven and carefully place the lid on and put it in the oven to bake.
- If you want, you can add a couple ice cubes on the outside of the parchment paper between the pan and the paper. This will give the crust a bubbly surface and allow more of a rise!
- Bake the dough for 35 minutes. Check around 30 minutes and see if it is done. Tap it, it should feel hollow. You can take the top off of the pan and let it bake if the top is not golden brown. Cook with the top off for another 15-20 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven when it is done and let it cool completely on a rack before cutting.
- This bread makes the most amazing toast, french toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, and it is fantastic with olive oil and balsamic vinegar!
By combining the sourdough dough with the pumpkin and spices, you can create the perfect fall treat for your family. You can feel good about this homemade sourdough pumpkin bread.
Wouldn’t this be a great addition to your Thanksgiving table?
Want more sourdough recipes?
How about more pumpkin recipes?
More Pumpkin Recipes
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Thanks for sharing this unique bread recipe for the fall. I love the pumpkin sourdough flavors together. So good!