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Best Easy Pumpkin Sourdough Bread with Warm Fall Spices

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This pumpkin sourdough bread combines tangy sourdough with sweet pumpkin and warm fall spices for a tender, flavorful loaf that’s perfect for toasting, gifting, or enjoying with butter. The long fermentation develops a deep, complex flavor that makes this bread a fall favorite.

Ingredients

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  • 100g active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly, about 4–6 hours after feeding)
  • 400g bread flour (preferably King Arthur)
  • 100g whole wheat flour
  • 200g pumpkin puree (100% pumpkin, not pie filling)
  • 150g lukewarm water (about 80°F)
  • 10g fine sea salt
  • 50g packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 50g toasted pepitas (optional, for topping)
  • 60g dried cranberries (optional)
  • Cinnamon sugar (optional, for dusting)

Instructions

  1. Feed your starter about 6-8 hours before mixing the dough. It should be bubbly, doubled in size, and pass the float test.
  2. Mix the flours and spices together in a large bowl. Whisk the bread flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice until evenly combined.
  3. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix the pumpkin puree, water, and active starter until smooth.
  4. Add the brown sugar to the wet mixture and stir until dissolved.
  5. Combine wet and dry by pouring the pumpkin mixture into the flour bowl. Mix with your hands or a dough whisk until no dry bits remain. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
  6. Add the salt after the rest. Sprinkle it over the dough and work it in by folding the dough over itself several times.
  7. Bulk fermentation: Let the dough rise at room temperature (70-75°F) for 4-5 hours. Every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, perform a set of stretch and folds (grab one side, stretch up, fold over; rotate bowl and repeat 4 times).
  8. Watch for signs that bulk fermentation is done: dough should be puffy, have visible bubbles, feel airy, and have increased in volume by about 50%.
  9. Shape the dough on a lightly floured surface. Gently turn it out, fold edges into the center, flip over, and use a bench scraper to create tension on the surface.
  10. Place in a banneton seam-side up (or seam-side down for oval). Dust with rice flour or all-purpose flour. Cover with a plastic bag or damp towel.
  11. Cold retard in the refrigerator for 12-18 hours.
  12. Preheat oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes.
  13. Score the bread just before baking: turn dough onto parchment paper (seam-side down), cut a deep slash about ½ inch deep across the top.
  14. Bake covered for 25 minutes with the lid on.
  15. Remove the lid and bake for another 20-25 minutes until deeply golden brown. Internal temperature should read 200-205°F.
  16. Cool completely on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Notes

Pumpkin puree varies in water content; if dough is too sticky, reduce water by 20g or drain puree. Don’t rush bulk fermentation; use the poke test. Toast pepitas before using. Use rice flour for dusting banneton to prevent sticking. Score with confidence at a 45-degree angle. Cool completely before slicing to avoid gummy texture.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin sourdough bread, sourdough bread, pumpkin bread, fall bread, sourdough pumpkin bread, homemade bread, artisan bread

Find it online: https://evabakery.com/best-easy-pumpkin-sourdough-bread-with-warm-fall-spices/