Pumpkin Sourdough Bread Loaf

This pumpkin sourdough bread is soft, golden, and gently sweet. The pumpkin purée gives the dough a beautiful colour and tender crumb, while the sourdough adds flavor and chew. It’s dotted with crunchy pecans. This bread is perfect toasted with butter, spread with cinnamon cream cheese, or served alongside soups.

A close-up of half a loaf of rustic bread with a golden, airy crumb and visible nuts, sitting on a wooden board with a tiled background.

About this bread

It doesn’t taste overly pumpkin-y, it just adds a subtle touch and soft texture. You can use either canned pumpkin purée or homemade roasted pumpkin. I love the combination of pumpkin and pecans so I added some into the bread too. I lightly toast them before adding them in so it brings out the nutty flavour more. I’ve not added any spices to this dough, so it stays purely with the natural pumpkin flavour and makes it more versatile when it comes to eating it.

A close-up of a sliced loaf of rustic bread with a golden, airy crumb and visible pieces of nuts, displayed on a wooden cutting board with a knife and a bowl of pecans nearby.

Sourdough starter

You’ll need an active sourdough starter for this recipe. I usually make a levain specifically for my loaves which is a portion of starter that’s fed and used entirely in the dough. If you prefer to use your main starter directly, that’s fine too. Just make sure it’s active and bubbly, not overly acidic, for the best rise and flavor.

Tools I use

Banneton basket or bowl For the final proof. If you don’t have one, a bowl lined with a floured tea towel works well.
Dutch oven – The steam it traps during baking allows the sourdough to reach its full potential before the crust forms. Alternatively, a large pot with a lid can be used. I use a cast-iron combo cooker.

Baker’s Schedule

The timing can be tweaked to suit your schedule, but here’s a guide of the timeline I currently use when it’s warmer in kitchen. It will change in winter.

9 am: Create your levain.
2 pm: Mix the dough.
Between 2 pm-5 pm: Stretch and fold.
5-7 pm: Bulk fermentation continued.
7 pm: Shape and refrigerate overnight.
The next day: Bake the loaf.

A close-up of a rustic loaf of artisan bread with a golden-brown, crunchy crust and a slightly cracked top, resting on a wooden cutting board. The breads interior appears orange, suggesting it may contain squash or pumpkin.

Method

First, feed your starter so it’s ready when you need it.

A hand holds a wooden-handled dough whisk, mixing thick, yellow dough in a large white bowl placed on a rustic wooden surface.

Mix the flour, water and pumpkin and autolyse.

A hand pours whipped cream from a glass container into a white bowl filled with yellowish dough on a wooden surface.

Add in the starter and salt and mix well.

A person stretches soft, yellow dough in a white mixing bowl on a wooden surface.

Over the next 3 hours, perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes.

A hand uses a spatula to spread thick, yellow cake batter in a large white mixing bowl on a wooden surface.

As the folds go on the dough will gather more and more strength.

To stretch and fold, wet your hands lightly so the dough does not stick to you. Lift one side of the dough and stretch it upward, then fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat with the next side. Continue until you have folded all four sides, then cover the bowl and let it rest until the next fold.

Repeat this process every 30 minutes over about three hours. In the beginning, the dough will feel soft and break easily, but it will gather strength and elasticity as time goes on.

A large white bowl containing risen, smooth yellow dough sits on a wooden surface.

Continue the bulk ferment until the dough shows signs of activity and has risen 50-70%

A close-up of chopped pecans in a dark skillet on a wooden surface, showing their rich brown color and textured surfaces.

In a dry pan, toast the pecans and then let them cool.

A person sprinkles chopped pecans onto a slab of yellow dough on a wooden surface, preparing to knead or fold them in.

Stretch the dough on a floured bench and add 1/2 the pecans. Fold it into thirds like a letter.

Hands adding chopped pecans to rolled-out dough on a wooden surface, preparing to knead or roll the nuts into the dough.

Turn the dough 90 degrees, then add on the remaining pecans.

Hands kneading dough with visible pieces of nuts on a floured wooden surface.

Roll the dough up into a log, tucking in the edges.

A pair of hands shaping dough in an oval proofing basket on a wooden surface, preparing it for baking.

Place seam side up in a floured basket and stitch down the length of the dough. Refrigerate overnight.

A close-up of a round, floured loaf of bread dough with a deep slash on top, ready for baking. The doughs surface shows a light dusting of flour and some visible texture.

Tip the dough onto parchment paper or dutch oven and score.

A round loaf of artisan bread with a golden, crispy crust sits in a black cast-iron skillet, with a Dutch oven in the background on a stovetop.

Bake covered, then uncovered until deeply browned.

Use a very sharp razor blade or lame to cut into the surface of the dough just before baking. Hold the blade at a slight angle and make a single confident slash about half to one centimeter deep.

For an open ear, score in one long curved line slightly off-center. For a rounder loaf, make a simple cross or straight slash down the middle. Try to move quickly and cleanly so the dough does not drag or tear.

A round loaf of rustic pumpkin sourdough with a golden, crispy crust sits on a wooden board. White decorative pumpkins and a white mug are blurred in the background.

A close-up of half a loaf of rustic sourdough pumpkin bread with a golden-orange crumb and visible nuts, sitting on a wooden cutting board with a blurred background.

This pumpkin sourdough bread is soft, golden, and gently sweet. The pumpkin purée gives the dough a beautiful colour and tender crumb, while the sourdough adds flavor and chew. It makes 1 loaf.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

16 hours

Total Time 17 hours 10 minutes

Course Bread

Cuisine American, New Zealand

Servings 8 people

Calories 295 kcal

Leaven

25 g sourdough starter
50 g all-purpose flour
50 g water

Bread

460 g all purpose flour with protein of at least 11%
180 g pumpkin purée
240 g water
All the levain or around 100g active starter
9 g salt
70 g pecan halves

Mix together the starter ingredients in a bowl and stir well until thoroughly mixed. Add it to a clean jar and loosely cover it. Leave it in a warm spot until it doubles in size.
When the starter has almost finished rising, combine the flour, water and pumpkin puree and in a large mixing bowl. Use a fork or wooden spoon to bring it together, then switch to wet hands to mix it into a shaggy dough ball with no dry bits of flour remaining. Cover the bowl and let it autolyze at room temperature until the starter is ready.
Add the starter and salt to the dough and squish it all in using wet hands. Add in a few slap and folds to incorporate it better and start developing the structure.
Over the next 3 hours, stretch and fold this dough every 30 minutes. Pull the dough up and over itself, turn the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat. Do this on all sides, and always use wet hands.
After the folds, place the dough in a clean bowl and give it another hour or two to finish the bulk ferment. There should be definite signs of activity on the dough, like bubbles forming and the dough will jiggle if you give the bowl a shake. In a room temperature of around 24°C/75°F my dough needs about another 1-3 hours, but in colder temperatures it will take longer.
Meanwhile, toast the pecans for 2-3 minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Let them cool, then chop them roughly.
Shape the sourdough into a batard or ball depending on what basket you’re using.

To shape a bastard:

Lightly flour the bench and tip out the dough. Pre-shape into a round and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Flip it over so the smooth side is down. Gently stretch it into a rectangle. Add on ½ the pecans.
Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, like a pamphlet, then turn it 90 degrees. Add on the remaining pecans.
Starting from the short end, roll it up into a log. Pull the dough towards you on the bench to create surface tension, and tuck in the sides.
Place it seam-side up into a floured, lined banneton for the final proof.
Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and cold-proof in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours.

Baking

The next day, preheat the oven and a Dutch oven to 450°F/230°C for at least 30 minutes until well-heated.
Remove the hot Dutch oven and flour the bottom well. Take the dough from the fridge and carefully flip it out of the basket and into the Dutch oven. If baking this in a large pot, it’s best to tip your dough onto a piece of parchment paper. This way, you can lower it into the pot.
Score the dough using a razor blade or sharp knife.
Bake covered with the lid for around 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake uncovered for 20 minutes more, depending on your preference or your oven. Some ovens run hotter and may need less time, while others need more.
Let the sourdough cool for at least two hours before slicing.

Calories: 295kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 7gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 104mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 5IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Bread, pumpkin, Sourdough

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