Description
Soft, airy, and full of pumpkin flavor — this sourdough bread is the perfect fall bake. Simple, rustic, and delicious.
Ingredients
- 100g active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)
- 400g bread flour
- 100g all-purpose flour
- 200g pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 200g warm water
- 10g salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- Optional: 50g pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or dried cranberries
Instructions
- Feed Starter – Make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly before beginning.
- Mix Dough – Combine bread flour, all-purpose flour, pumpkin puree, water, starter, salt, and spices. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Autolyse – Let the dough rest for 30 minutes to hydrate.
- Stretch & Fold – Over 2–3 hours, perform stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes to build gluten.
- Bulk Fermentation – Cover and let dough rise until nearly doubled (4–6 hours at room temperature).
- Shape – Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a round or oval loaf, and place in a floured proofing basket.
- Second Rise – Rest at room temperature 1–2 hours, or refrigerate overnight for enhanced flavor.
- Bake – Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven inside. Place dough in, score the top, and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove lid and bake 20–25 more minutes until golden brown.
- Cool – Let bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- Use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for the best texture and flavor.
- If the dough feels too sticky, handle it with lightly floured or wet hands instead of adding excess flour.
- For deeper flavor, refrigerate the shaped loaf overnight before baking.
- Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top before baking for a rustic, bakery-style finish.
- Slice and freeze bread for quick, ready-to-toast servings.
- Prep Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes