How to make Pumpkin Pie Sourdough Artisan Bread

This fall spiced Pumpkin Pie Sourdough Artisan bread recipe is packed with all the wonderful flavors of fall, it’s deliciously moist and mildly sweet for a versatile bread. The aroma that fills my kitchen every time I bake a batch of these scrumptious loaves is divine.

Nothing says fall like pumpkin! Right? Am I right? Of course! Every coffee shop, grocery store, bakery, are all packed with pumpkin flavored items this time of year.

This Pumpkin Pie Sourdough Artisan Bread recipe is the perfect accent to the fall season and what I particularly love is that its not super sweet so I can eat it along side my fried eggs and pumpkin flavored coffee in the mornings.

My children love it with butter and a drizzle of maple syrup on top.

My favorite way to eat it, right now anyway, is with cream cheese and a little homemade apple butter that I bought from an apple orchard we went to recently for a fall field trip.

Ive yet to try it in a savory way, but im thinking an apple grilled cheese with a thick slice of ham may be in order. It may be pregnancy hormones, but I can almost taste it.

How do you shape a Pumpkin Loaf

This is such an easy way to make your sourdough beautiful for fall. The process is really simple, but there are a few things you will want to have on hand before you are ready to shape and bake your sourdough.

Here’s my post and video on how I easily tie these beautiful pumpkin shaped loaves, tools you will need, and things I learned by trial and error.

What Makes Sourdough bread different than regular bread? Is it Healthier?

Well first, the yeast. Sourdough breads do not use commercial yeast. The starter is a culture of beneficial yeasts and bacteria from the air and flour that leaven the bread while feeding on the flour. They partially metabolize the flour, making it easier for our bodies to digest.

The fermentation also breaks down a protective chemical called phytic acid, which binds to key nutrients in our bodies. This bond actually steals important nutrients from our bodies since phytic acid is not digestible to our bodies and it ends up being eliminated. Fermentation enables our bodies to absorb and digest the nutrients in the grains instead, making sourdough the healthier choice.

Second, the flavor, which is, well, sour. Sourdough bread has a greater depth of flavor that can’t really be achieved in your regular yeast breads. That long overnight or all day fermentation lends itself to a deliciously superb sour flavor.

Third, the texture. Artisan sourdough bread is chewy inside with crunchy outer crust. It’s just so delicious. Dont get me wrong, soft bread can also be achieved with sourdough but we love the crunchy chewy texture of sourdough.

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Tools I use for Pumpkin Pie Sourdough Artisan Bread

Bakers Twine

Large Glass bowl

Banneton Set this one has a Lame, scrapers, and a dough whisk, all the essentials. I love that it also comes with a duster and brush for cleaning your bannetons

Dough Whisk

Lame (razor blade)

Kitchen Scale

Dutch Oven

Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• Pumpkin Puree
• Bread Flour
• Active Sourdough Starter
• Brown Sugar
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Distilled or Purified Water
• Salt

How to make Pumpkin Pie Sourdough Artisan Bread

First wiegh and add your active sourdough starter to a large mixing bowl. To the starter add your water by weight. Stir to mix.

Add half of a can of pumpkin puree to your starter and water, mix well.

Next measure and add your pumpkin pie spice mix, salt and brown sugar. Mix all ingredients till well combined.

Weigh and add your bread flour to pumpkin puree mixture.

The dough will be shaggy and very tacky at this point. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes, this is called Autolyse and will help the dough become easier to work with, develop proteins, and fully hydrate the flour.

I will disclose a secret. When developing my recipe, I started with my Easy No-Knead Sourdough Recipe and adjusted for the added moisture.

Stretch and Folds

After the 30 minute Autolyse, you will do 3 to 4 stretch and folds. This is where you grab a portion of the dough on the side, stretch it up and fold it into the center of the dough. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat.

Repeat the stretch and fold 3 more times, for a total of 4 times, until you get back to the first stretch and fold. Your dough will still be quite wet and sticky this first time.

Cover your bowl, let it rest 30 minutes and repeat the stretch and fold. Stretch and fold your dough every 30 minutes for a total of 4 stretch and folds. Stretch and Folds dont have to be exactly 30 minutes apart, but setting a timer will help you remember.

You will notice that with each stretch and fold your dough becomes less tacky, more elastic and smooth and easier to work with.

Cover your dough and let it bulk ferment for 8 or so hours. I typically like to let this happen overnight. See below for two different schedule options.

Preparing to bake you Pumpkin Pie Sourdough bread

The next morning, gently scrape your dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. At this point your dough should be slightly sticky but not so sticky that it clings to everything.

With the bottom of your bread up, shape your dough into a boule’ by pulling the outer edges of the bottom into the middle bottom.

Alternatively you can shape your dough, with the bottom against the counter, by folding your hand under the dough while pulling the dough toward you and to the right. Its a 3 directional action in one movement… repeat this motion until the top of the boule’ is tight.

Place your boule’ into your proofing basket, top side down. If there are any parts of the bottom of the dough that are not “stuck” together, pinch them together so that the dough stays nice and tight.

Cover your dough. I typically flip the bowl I just used to proof my dough and put it over the banneton basket. Let your dough rest while you preheat your dutch oven. I give my dutch oven 30 minutes to get good and hot.

Next place a piece of parchment paper over your boule’. With your hand holding the parchment paper in place, flip your boule’ over and onto the counter.

At this point you can tie your dough with twine to shape it into a beautiful pumpkin (I show you how here) or you can and score and bake like any other sourdough loaf.

Place your boule into your preheated dutch oven, cover and bake for 20 minutes

Remove the dutch oven lid and bake for 25-30 minutes

Remove your fresh baked bread to a cooling rack and cool completely before you slice into it, if you can wait.

Sample Baking Schedule #1

12 pm- Feed your starter

4 pm- An active starter will have doubled within 4 hours of being fed. When it has doubled, you can now start mixing your ingredients. Autolyse your dough 30 minutes.

4:30 pm- Do your first round of Stretch and Folds

5pm- Stretch and Fold #2

5:30 pm- Stretch and Fold #3

6pm- Stretch and Fold #4 and Begin Bulk Ferment (overnight)

6:00-8:00 AM- Gently Scrape your dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape and put into Banneton for 30 minute rest. Preheat your oven and Dutch Oven.

30 minute later remove your dough from the banneton, (my boule is always on a piece of parchment paper). Tie your boule with twine, if shaping like a pumpkin, and/or score your dough. Bake with lid on

20 minutes later remove lid and continue baking for 25-30 minutes.

*Remove your fresh baked bread to a cooling rack and cool completely before you slice into it, if you can stand it.

Sample Baking Schedule #2

6 am– Feed your starter

10 am– An active starter will have doubled within 4 hours of being fed. When it has doubled, you can now start mixing your ingredients. Autolyse your dough 30 minutes.

10:30 am– Do your first round of Stretch and Folds

11 am– Stretch and Fold #2

11:30 am– Stretch and Fold #3

12 pm– Stretch and Fold #4 and Begin Bulk Ferment (8hours)

8 pm– you have two options here:

Option 1: Put your dough into the fridge to slow fermentation and bake the next morning

Option 2: Gently Scrape your dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape and put into Banneton for 30 minute rest. Preheat your oven and Dutch Oven.

30 minute later remove your dough from the banneton, (my boule is always on a piece of parchment paper). Tie your boule with twine, if shaping like a pumpkin, and/or score your dough. Bake with lid on

20 minutes later remove lid and continue baking for 25-30 minutes.

*Remove your fresh baked bread to a cooling rack and cool completely before you slice into it, if you can stand it.

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