Artisan Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
There’s nothing quite like pulling a golden, crusty sourdough loaf out of the oven. Every week I make a beautiful boule of sourdough bread. There’s nothing quite like homemade bread! I just recently made some fig jam with figs from my parents’ tree. We have our own fig tree but we’re waiting for it to mature and produce fruit. We’re hoping this year will be the year because it’s loaded with figs but we’ll see!
With this recipe, we’re making a delicious sourdough bread and then adding pumpkin purée. It takes on a whole new level of cozy. The pumpkin gives this sourdough pumpkin bread a tender crumb, a subtle sweetness, and that rich autumn color that feels perfect for the season. Unlike pumpkin quick breads, this is a true pumpkin sourdough bread: naturally leavened, slowly fermented, and baked in a Dutch oven for that artisan look and feel.
This post is all about making a rustic loaf of sourdough pumpkin bread.
Table of Contents
About the Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
You can definitely get a bit fancy with this bread by making the loaf look like a little pumpkin by using food-grade cotton string. This really sets the mood and signals ‘it’s fall’ with this cute loaf. And don’t worry! If you’d like an actual loaf of bread instead of artisan style one, I have a recipe coming up for that as well.
This recipe will require 3 to 4 stretch and folds over a two hour period, every 20 minutes. After the stretch and fold, it’ll be time to shape the bread and then do a bulk fermentation in the fridge. The bulk fermentation takes 8 to 12 hours. This seems like a super long time, but it’ll be worth the wait and during the this time period, the dough is doing all of the work. You can go about your day, or if it’s in the fridge overnight, you can get in all your Z’s no problem!
The recipe calls for pumpkin purée, not pumpkin filling. It’s important to use the right type of pumpkin. Purée has just pumpkin in it. There aren’t any spices added into it. Pumpkin filling on the other hand has spices added to it.
I’ve also put together a sample baking schedule so you can see how everything may play out, depending on your schedule and/or when you’d like to bake it. There are two different options for this bread to either bake it on the same day or do a cold fermentation with baking the next day.
Sourdough Pumpkin Bread: Sample Baking Schedule
Day 1 – Mix, Bulk, and Shape
8:00 AM – Feed Starter
Feed your sourdough starter so it’s active and bubbly by midday.
12:00 PM – Mix & Autolyse (30–45 min)
Mix flour, pumpkin purée, starter, and most of the water. Rest covered for 30–45 minutes.
12:45 PM – Add Salt & Final Mix
Sprinkle in salt (and spices if using). Mix or knead gently until incorporated.
1:00–5:00 PM – Stretch and Folds & Bulk Fermentation (4–6 hrs)
First 2 hours: Perform 3–4 sets of stretch & folds, every 30 minutes. Final 2–4 hours: Let dough rest untouched until it has risen ~50% and feels airy.
5:00 PM – Shape the Dough
Gently shape into a boule or batard. Place in a floured banneton or towel-lined bowl.
5:15 PM – Cold Proof (8–12 hrs)
Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure to cover it to retain moisture so that the dough doesn’t dry out. Put the banneton in a plastic bag, or cover it with plastic wrap or a shower cap.
(See below for same-day baking)
Day 2 – Bake
7:00 AM – Preheat Oven
Place Dutch oven inside and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for at least 30 minutes.
7:30 AM – Bake
Transfer dough to parchment, score, and carefully place into the Dutch oven. Bake 20 minutes covered, then 20–25 minutes uncovered until deep golden brown.
8:15 AM – Cool
Let loaf cool at least 1 hour before slicing (hardest step, but important for texture). You don’t want to cut into the bread before it has cooled down. The reason for this is that it’ll not only ruin the texture of the bread, but it makes
Optional Same-Day Bake
If you don’t want to cold proof, there is an alternative method for same-day baking. After shaping, proof at room temp for 1–2 hours until slightly puffy. Bake the same evening around 7:00 PM.
Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven with lid
- 1 bench scraper
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
- 1 Banneton basket (or a bowl lined with a floured towel)
- 1 Lame (scoring tool) or sharp knife
- Parchment paper
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 450 g bread flour 90%
- 50 g whole wheat flour 10%
- 350 g pumpkin purée
- 100 g active sourdough starter 20%
- 9 g salt 2%
- 20 –40 g water as needed 4–8% — depending on the moisture in your pumpkin
- 1 tsp cinnamon optional, for a hint of spice
- ½ tsp nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Mix & Autolyse (30–45 minutes)
- Mix starter, pumpkin purée, and flour (hold the salt!) and let the dough rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Add Salt & Final Mix
- Sprinkle salt (and spices if using) over the dough. Mix into the dough until incorporated. Add a little bit of water if the dough feels stiff.
- Stretch and Folds & Bulk Fermentation (4–6 hours at room temp, 72°F / 22°C)
- Per 3–4 stretch & folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours. Then let the dough rest undisturbed until it has risen ~50%, feels airy, and has bubbles at the edges.
- Shape the Dough
- Gently turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a boule (round) or batard (oval). Place seam-side up in a floured banneton or lined bowl.
- Final Proof (Cold Fermentation, 8–12 hrs)
- Cover and refrigerate overnight (for best flavor and easier scoring). OR proof at room temp 1–2 hours until slightly puffy if baking the same day.
- Bake in Dutch Oven
- Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C) with Dutch oven inside. Transfer dough to parchment, score, and bake: 20 min covered, 20–25 min uncovered.
- Cool & Slice
- Let bread cool at least 1 hour before slicing. Place the bread on a cooling rack.
Notes
Flavor Notes & Serving Ideas
This sourdough pumpkin loaf has a subtle pumpkin flavor (not overly sweet) with just a hint of tang from the starter. It pairs beautifully with quite a few other goodies like:
- Salted butter and a drizzle of honey
- Cream cheese or apple butter
- Toasted alongside a bowl of soup or stew
It’s not dessert-sweet like pumpkin quick bread — instead, think of it as a rustic loaf with just enough seasonal flair to make it special.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been baking sourdough and want to bring in the flavors of fall, this pumpkin sourdough bread is a perfect next project. It has all the crusty, chewy character of an artisan loaf, but with a soft, golden crumb thanks to pumpkin. A beautiful loaf for everyday meals — or to wow friends at a fall gathering.
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