Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

Pumpkin sourdough bread is a rich and delicious pumpkin flavored sourdough swirled with a sweet pumpkin spice and dried cranberries.

4.42 from 43 votes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Fermenting Time 10

Mix 100g active starter with 240g water and 200g pumpkin puree, stirring until smooth and mostly combined.
Add in 500g bread flour, mixing until all the flour is incorporated. Use a danish dough whisk, spatula, or spoon mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead the dough with your hands until all the dry bits are incorporated. Cover and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Prior to the first set of stretch and folds, spread the dough in the mixing bowl by poking it down like you're making sourdough focaccia, then sprinkle 10g salt over the surface of the dough.
Using damp hands, grab the dough and gently pull it until the flap is long enough to fold over itself, then fold the flap, rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat 3 more times, this is considered a set of stretch and folds. Re-cover the bowl, and set it aside for 30 minutes
Perform another set of stretch and folds followed by a 30 minute rest.
Before the last stretch and fold, whisk together 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup dried cranberries and 1 1/2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the dough.
Complete one last set of stretch and folds to incorporate the added mixture.
Note: Less folding in the sugar mixture will result in pronounced ribbons and swirls as pictured above, more folding in will result in a more homogenized dough mixture.

Cover the dough and set it aside to bulk ferment for 10-12 hours, or until it nearly doubles in size. The bulk ferment is complete when the dough is domed in the bowl, and bubbles are visible beneath the surface.

Uncover the dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface or countertop.
Drag the dough along the work surface using your pinkies under the dough ball to create tension. Continue pulling until a nice round boule forms.
Transfer the boule, seam side down, on a piece of parchment paper. Using the parchment paper as a sling, place into a bowl or pot slightly smaller than your dutch oven to proof for another 60-120 minutes.
October 2024 Update: When I wrote and photographed this article, I did not have a banneton, so I used a pot as a proofing basket – If you’ve got a banneton feel free to use it, I do whenever I make this bread these days!

While the dough is finishing the final rise, place a cast iron dutch oven into the cold oven and preheat together at 450°F. Once the oven is heated, score your loaf as desired.
Using the parchment paper as a sling, lift it from the proofing bowl and carefully lower into the pre-heated dutch oven.
Bake the pumpkin sourdough at 450°F covered for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue to bake until the crust has darkened to a golden brown, another 15-20 minutes. For the most reliable doneness check, test your loaf with a thermometer; the center of the loaf should read 205-210°F.
Remove the sourdough from the dutch oven and cool on a wire mesh cooling rack until room temperature (at least 2 hours) before slicing.

Expert Tips

New to sourdough? Start here! Need a starter? My easy sourdough starter can be ready in as little as 24 hours, so you can get to sourdough baking without the long wait.
Make it fit your schedule. This recipe is written with a room temperature bulk ferment, but you can easily proof your sourdough in the fridge if your day gets away from you. Sourdough is pretty flexible when you know how to work with it.
Steal my shower cap trick. Skip the fancy dough covers, I grabbed a polka dotted shower cap at the drugstore, and now I use it a few times a week to cover my sourdough. It fits over bowls and bannetons, keeps the dough from drying out, and you can wash and reuse it!
Out of pumpkin pie spice? You can easily make your own with 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon all spice. You've probably got everything you need already!