This pumpkin sourdough bread is the perfect fall treat. It is flavored with pumpkin and warm spices, sweetened with brown sugar, and even looks like a pumpkin as well. This loaf is the autumnal version of cinnamon raisin bread, without the raisins of course. Not only does it make for some fantastic French toast, drizzled with maple syrup and topped with whipped cream, but it is just as good when it is simply toasted with a bit of butter. There aren’t many other things that are better for the cool months of autumn than this bread.
Why sourdough?
There are many reasons I love sourdough as much as I do. The health benefits, the flavor, the self-reliance, the joy it brings pulling a fresh loaf from the oven, the simplicity of so many of the recipes
Since sourdough recipes often lack the commercial yeast, it uses natural yeasts to provide the rise and airiness in a loaf. Since these yeasts are natural and not created for speed and convenience, they take longer to rise. This rising time is also known as fermentation. Those yeasts are getting to work and actually feeding off of the flour and liquids that are present in the dough. As they feed on these ingredients, they break them down. This process makes sourdough products easier to digest.
Sourdough starter is simply flour and water. There is no need to rely on commercial yeast. The fermentation process also produces a savory and slightly sour flavor, which, once you start trying different recipes with it, you won’t be able to go back. This bread is all the better for the addition of that sour starter and it enhances the flavors of the pumpkin and the spices.
Tools for baking
These are some of my favorites!
Kitchen scale. Because grams are more accurate, all of my artisan loaves are in grams. A good kitchen scale is a great investment if you like baking with sourdough.
Banneton baskets. These are something I love to use when making an artisan loaf. They give a beautiful patter to the loaves, and I get the best shape and rise. If you don’t have one, you can easily use a bowl that is lined with a heavily floured towel.
Oven safe twine. This is what gives this loaf its pumpkin shape!
Glass mixing bowls. Some people recommend not to mix sourdough in metal, and plastic items bowls can leach chemicals into whatever foods they come in contact with (read more about plastics here). I prefer to mix my doughs and let them rise in glass bowls whenever possible.
Stainless pot or pan. When I first started making sourdough, I thought that the only way to bake a good loaf was in a cast iron Dutch oven, but I don’t want to make the investment, so I made do with what I had. Turns out my loaves are more consistent, and the bottoms don’t burn when I bake them in a stainless-steel pot or pan. This is the brand I use.
Ingredients:
Sourdough starter:
This is what gives the loaf its rise and slight tangy flavor. To ensure it is active and bubbly feed it 6-8 hours before starting the recipe.
Water:
I have found that using purified or well water work the best.
Pumpkin:
The pumpkin not only imparts a lovely flavor, but also that orangish color to the loaf.
Vanilla:
Adds a bit of flavor and sweetness.
Pumpkin pie spice:
Adds a warmth to the loaf and gives it the signature spicy flavor that is so loved this time of year.
Salt:
Any loaf without salt is a loaf without flavor. It enhances the other flavors and makes any recipe sing.
Brown Sugar:
The caramel and molasses notes in brown sugar makes it perfect for this cozy recipe.
Flour:
I typically use organic, unbleached, all-purpose flour, but you can use whatever floats your boat. I have yet to try this recipe with whole wheat, but I think it would be so delicious!
Lets get baking!
Start by combining the starter, water, pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and brown sugar together in a bowl.
Add in the flour and mix until fully combined.
Take one end of the dough and stretch it up and fold it over the ball of dough. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the process until you have done it 5times. This is the first series of stretch and folds. You can do as many as 8 folds.
Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest for 30 minutes on the counter at room temperature.
Stretch and fold again and allow to rest for another 30 minutes. Continue this process until it has been done a total of 6 times.
Cover and allow to rise at room temperature for six hours or until doubled in size.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently stretch it into a square.
Sprinkle the dough with a light dusting of pumpkin pie spice for small swirl of extra flavor in the finished loaf (optional).
Roll the dough into a log, then starting at the short end, roll the log until it forms a ball.
Place cupped hands behind the dough and pull toward the edge of the counter. Turn the dough and repeat the process keeping the top facing upright. If done correctly the top of the dough will tighten leaving a smooth top.
In a floured banneton basket or a bowl lined with a floured towel, place the loaf upside down.
Pinch the bottom of the loaf together to maintain the tension created earlier. This is called stitching the loaf together.
Cover and store in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place an oven safe pot or pan in the oven while it warms.
Cut 4 pieces of oven safe twine that are roughly 2 feet long. Place the strings on a piece of parchment paper. The middles should all intersect at the same place and be placed in a way where there are 8 equal sized spaces between them.
Place the dough in the center of the strings. Taking one string at a time and tie the ends together so it wraps around the loaf and meets at the top. Repeat the process with each string until all four are tied. Tie a knot joining all the strings together and trim off any excess ends. Score the loaf in-between the strings. It should look a bit like a pumpkin already.
Place the tied loaf in an oven safe pot or pan and transfer it into the oven. Pour water into the hot pan that was in the oven to create steam.
Bake for ten minutes then remove the pan containing the water.
Continue baking for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Wait for it to cool before removing the strings and cutting into a loaf.
Enjoy!
If you want to learn more about sourdough, keeping a healthy starter, and even making one on your own, check out my new book, The Art of Sourdough.
Artisan Pumpkin Sourdough Loaf
Ingredients
- 160g Starter
- 150g Water
- 180g Pumpkin
- 5g Vanilla extract
- 3g Pumpkin pie spice
- 7g Salt
- 100g Brown sugar
- 375g Flour
Instructions
- In a glass bowl combine the starter, water, pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and brown sugar. Mix until smooth.
- Add in the flour and mix until fully combined.
- Take one end of the dough and stretch it up and fold it over the ball of dough. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the process until you have done it 5 times. This is the first series of stretch and folds.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold again and allow to rest for another 30 minutes. Continue this process until it has been done a total of 6 times.
- Cover and allow to rise at room temperature for six hours or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently stretch it into a square.
- Sprinkle the dough with a light dusting of pumpkin pie spice for small swirl of extra flavor in the finished loaf (optional).
- Roll the dough into a log, then starting at the short end, roll the log until it forms a ball.
- Place cupped hands behind the dough and pull toward the edge of the counter. Turn the dough and repeat the process keeping the top facing upright. If done correctly the top of the dough will tighten leaving a smooth top.
- In a floured banneton basket or a bowl lined with a floured towel, place the loaf upside down.
- Pinch the bottom of the loaf together to maintain the tension created in step 10.
- Cover and store in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place an oven safe pot or pan in the oven while it warms.
- Cut 4 pieces of oven safe twine that are roughly 2 feet long. Place the strings on a piece of parchment paper. The middles should all intersect at the same place and be placed in a way where there are 8 equal sized spaces between them.
- Place the dough in the center of the strings. Taking one string at a time and tie the ends together so it wraps around the loaf and meets at the top. Repeat the process with each string until all four are tied. Tie a knot joining all the strings together and trim off any excess ends.
- Score the loaf in-between the strings. It should look a bit like a pumpkin already.
- Place the tied loaf in an oven safe pot or pan and transfer it into the oven. Pour water into the hot pan that was in the oven to create steam.
- Bake for ten minutes then remove the pan containing the water.
- Continue baking for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
- Wait for it to cool before removing the strings and cutting into a loaf.
- Enjoy!
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