A soft, flavorful pumpkin sourdough bread swirled with a cinnamon pecan filling. This sourdough pumpkin bread is naturally sweetened with pumpkin and brown sugar, and it bakes into a golden loaf you can shape like a pumpkin for fall.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
This pumpkin sourdough bread is soft on the inside with a deeply golden, crackly crust.
The cinnamon pecan filling is swirled through every slice, so it is basically a cinnamon roll and a loaf of bread in one.
It makes the most of your active sourdough starter, with a long cold proof that does the work while you sleep.
You can keep it as a simple round loaf, or tie it with twine and bake it into an actual pumpkin shape for fall and Thanksgiving.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH
Make the dough
- Combine the wet ingredients. Add the active sourdough starter, water, pumpkin puree, and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
- Add the flour. Add the bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
- Rest the dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Add the salt. Sprinkle the salt over the dough. Pinch and fold the dough until the salt is fully incorporated.
- Rest again. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Stretch and fold
- First set. Grab one side of the dough, gently stretch it upward, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat until all four sides have been folded.
- Repeat. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch-and-fold process two more times, resting 30 minutes between each set, for a total of 3 sets.
Bulk ferment
- Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment until it has increased about 50 to 75 percent in volume. The dough should look puffier, have some visible bubbles, and jiggle slightly when the bowl is moved. Do not wait for it to fully double.
Make the cinnamon pecan filling
- Mix it up. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour.
- Chop the pecans finely. Chop them very finely so the pieces do not tear through the dough during shaping.
Fill and shape the loaf
- Turn out the dough. Gently turn the fermented dough onto a clean work surface. Do not punch it down.
- Stretch into a rectangle. Carefully stretch the dough into a rectangle, but do not stretch it extremely thin.
- Add the filling. Sprinkle the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle the finely chopped pecans over the cinnamon filling.
- Fold the dough. Fold one-third of the dough toward the center, then fold the opposite third over the first fold. Gently fold or roll the dough into a compact package. Do not pull tightly enough to tear the surface.
- Rest. Let the dough rest on the work surface for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Shape into a boule. Gently shape the dough into a round boule with just enough surface tension to hold its shape. Do not tighten it aggressively, the filling can tear through.
Cold proof
- Transfer to the banneton. Place the dough seam-side up in a well-floured banneton.
- Refrigerate. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 14 hours.
How to shape it like a pumpkin (optional)
- This step is completely optional. If you want a simple round sourdough pumpkin loaf, skip the twine and score the top as you normally would. If you want the pumpkin look, here is how.
- Preheat the Dutch oven. The next day, preheat the oven to 450°F with the Dutch oven inside for about 45 minutes.
- Prepare the twine. Cut 4 long pieces of 100 percent cotton kitchen twine. Lightly coat each piece with neutral cooking oil so it does not stick to the crust.
- Turn out the dough. Remove the dough straight from the refrigerator and turn it onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Add the twine. Position the 4 pieces of twine around the loaf so they divide it into 8 equal sections. Tie the twine very loosely, it should only lightly touch the surface of the dough. The loaf will expand against the twine as it bakes and form the pumpkin ridges.
- Score the loaf. Make a small, shallow X in the center to allow for expansion. You can also add decorative leaf scoring to the sections if you like.
Bake the loaf
- Preheat the Dutch oven. If you skipped the pumpkin shaping, preheat the oven to 450°F with the Dutch oven inside for 45 minutes before baking.
- Bake covered. Transfer the loaf to the preheated Dutch oven. Cover and bake at 450°F for 35 minutes.
- Bake uncovered. Remove the lid and lower the oven temperature to 425°F. Bake for 15 to 20 more minutes, until the crust is deeply browned. The internal temperature should reach around 205 to 210°F.
- Cool. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and let it cool completely before slicing, at least 2 to 3 hours.
- Finish the pumpkin look. Carefully snip and remove the kitchen twine. Insert a cinnamon stick into the center for the stem, if you like.
QUICK TIPS
- Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling is sweetened and spiced, and it will throw off the dough.
- Expect a softer dough. Pumpkin adds a lot of moisture, so this dough feels softer than a classic sourdough loaf. That is normal.
- Hold back a little water if needed. Different pumpkin purees vary in moisture. If the dough feels unusually loose during mixing, hold back 10 to 15 grams of the water and add it only if needed.
- Finely chop the pecans. Large pieces can puncture the dough and let the cinnamon filling break through while you shape.
- Do not over-tighten the boule. After adding the filling, shape gently so the surface stays intact.
- Watch the dough, not the clock. Bulk fermentation varies with starter strength and room temperature. This heavier dough only needs a 50 to 75 percent rise, not a full double.
- Tie the twine loosely. If it is too tight, the loaf will separate into exaggerated sections as it expands.
- Let it cool completely. Slicing warm bread can make the cinnamon filling and pumpkin crumb look gummy.
MORE SOURDOUGH RECIPES
If you love baking with your starter, try my Chocolate Sourdough Bread and Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough next.
New to sourdough? Start with my sourdough guide, then ease in with Sourdough Bread for Beginners.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Sourdough
A soft pumpkin sourdough bread swirled with cinnamon pecan filling, naturally sweetened with pumpkin and brown sugar. This sourdough pumpkin loaf can be shaped like a pumpkin for fall, or left as a simple round.
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Sourdough
- 100 grams active sourdough starter - at or near peak
- 225 grams water - room temperature
- 175 grams pumpkin puree
- 55 grams light or dark brown sugar
- 500 grams bread flour
- 10 grams salt
For the Cinnamon Pecan filling
- 75 grams brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 10 grams all-purpose flour
- 25 to 30 grams pecans - very finely chopped
For Shaping, optional
- 4 pieces 100% cotton kitchen twine
- Neutral cooking oil - for coating the twine
- Cinnamon stick - optional for the stem
Instructions
Feed the Starter
- Several hours before making the dough, feed your starter so you have at least 100 grams of active starter for the recipe, plus a little left over to maintain it. For example, combine 25 grams starter, 50 grams water, and 50 grams bread flour. Stir, mark the level on the jar, and leave it at room temperature.
- Let the starter rise until it has at least doubled and is bubbly and puffy, about 4 to 8 hours depending on your kitchen. Measure out 100 grams of active starter for the dough. Keep the rest to feed for your next bake.
Make the pumpkin sourdough dough
- Add the active sourdough starter, water, pumpkin puree, and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
- Addd the bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
- =Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle the salt over the dough. Pinch and fold the dough until the salt is incorporated.
- Cover and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
Stretch and fold
- Perform the first set of stretch and folds. Grab one side of the dough, gently stretch it upward, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat until all four sides have been folded.
- Repeat the stretch and folds. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch-and-fold process two more times, resting 30 minutes between each set, for a total of 3 sets.
Bulk fermentation
- Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment until it has increased approximately 50 to 75 percent in volume. The dough should look puffier, have some visible bubbles, and jiggle slightly when the bowl is moved. Do not wait for the dough to fully double.
Make the cinnamon pecan filling
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour.
- Finely Chop the pecans so the pieces do not tear through the dough during shaping.
Fill and shape the dough
- Gently turn the fermented dough onto a clean work surface. Do not punch the dough down.
- Carefully stretch the dough into a rectangle. Avoid stretching the dough extremely thin.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture evenly over the dough, leaving approximately a 1-inch border around the edges.
- Sprinkle the finely chopped pecans evenly over the cinnamon filling.
- Fold one-third of the dough toward the center. Fold the opposite third over the first fold. Gently fold or roll the dough into a compact package without pulling tightly enough to tear the surface.
- Allow the dough to rest on the work surface for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Gently shape the dough into a round boule, creating enough surface tension for the dough to hold its shape without aggressively tightening it.
Cold proof
- Place the dough seam-side up in a well-floured banneton.
- Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 14 hours.
Shape the loaf like a pumpkin, optional
- The next day, preheat the oven to 450°F with the Dutch oven inside for about 45 minutes.
- Cut 4 long pieces of 100% cotton kitchen twine. Lightly coat each piece with neutral cooking oil to prevent sticking.
- Remove the dough directly from the refrigerator and turn it onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Position the 4 pieces of twine around the loaf so they divide the bread into 8 sections. Tie the twine very loosely. The twine should only lightly touch the surface of the dough. The loaf will expand against the twine during baking to form the pumpkin ridges.
- Make a small, shallow X in the center of the loaf to allow for expansion. Lightly dust the surface with rice flour just before scoring for a brighter contrast on the scored lines. Decorative leaf scoring can also be added to the individual pumpkin sections, if desired.
Bake
- If you skipped the pumpkin shaping, preheat the oven to 450°F with the Dutch oven inside for 45 minutes before baking.
- Remove the lid and reduce the oven temperature to 425°F. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is deeply browned and the internal temperature reaches approximately 205 to 210°F.
- Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing, preferably for at least 2 to 3 hours.
- For pumpkin shaping - carefully snip and remove the kitchen twine. Insert a cinnamon stick into the center of the loaf for a pumpkin stem, if desired.
Notes
- Feed the starter 4 to 8 hours before mixing until it is bubbly and active.
- Measure by weight. Cups are not accurate enough for sourdough.
- Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- This dough is softer than a classic loaf. Keep some water back if it feels loose.
- Finely chop the pecans so they do not tear the dough.
- Shape gently after adding the filling. Do not over-tighten.
- Watch the dough, not the clock. Wait for the puffy, jiggly 50 to 75 percent rise.
- Dust with rice flour just before scoring for a brighter contrast.
- Tie the twine loosely so the loaf can expand into clean sections.
- Cool at least 2 hours before slicing or the crumb will be gummy.
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
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