Sweet Sourdough Pumpkin Bread With Cinnamon and Pecans

by Kaitlynn Fenley

Sweet sourdough pumpkin bread is the most delicious pumpkin bread you will ever have. My pumpkin sourdough bread is a simple sourdough loaf recipe with roasted pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans incorporated.

Sourdough Pumpkin Bread

If you’ve baked sourdough boules before, this recipe will be easy. I adapted my sourdough boule recipe to incorporate pumpkin, cinnamon, pecans, and brown sugar.

You can use freshly roasted pumpkin in this recipe or pumpkin puree from a can; both options work well. I chose to roast a fresh pumpkin, and I prefer it over a canned pumpkin.

This is not a sourdough discard recipe, and you need an active, bubbly sourdough starter.

a circular round sourdough pumpkin bread boule in a white dutch oven, freshly baked and golden brown.

Sweet Cinnamon Sourdough Pumpkin Bread

The trick to making this bread is when to add the sweet filling. You won’t add the sweet cinnamon brown sugar mix until the first stretch and fold.

This is important because sourdough starter yeasts ferment sugars. If you add the sugar mixture too early, you can easily over-proof your dough, and the flavor won’t be as sweet but sourer.

You also want the gluten to develop just a bit before you add in some pecans.

To add fillings to sourdough, you need wet your counter and gently stretch the dough out without breaking the dough. Then, you will carefully spread half the filling over the dough before you roll it up into the dough and fold the sides over each other for the stretch and fold.

Then you will knead the dough again. It will get sticky and some ingredients may tear through the dough, but that’s okay.

Here is a great video from my favorite baker on youtube, Bake with Jack, to help you learn how to incorporate fillings; it’s not as difficult as it seems. CLICK HERE.

sourdough pumpkin bread cut in half to see the yellowish orange inside of the bread swirled with cinnamon and pecans.

Pumpkin Sourdough Bread with Cinnamon and Pecans

To be transparent, this blog was once a pumpkin bread that was more like quick banana bread, but I decided to update it and go with a full-on sourdough recipe.

When you make this recipe you should start the dough by 9 am, so it’s either baking or in the fridge at a decent hour.

Pumpkin Sourdough Bread Recipe

Here are all the ingredients you need to make this amazing and delicious sourdough pumpkin bread:

  • 100 g Sourdough Starter (fed and bubbly)
  • 200 g roasted pumpkin
  • 500 g White Bread Flour
  • 180 g warm Water
  • 30 g maple syrup
  • 10 g Salt
  • A pinch of turmeric for color
  • A pinch of cinnamon
  • 50 grams roasted pumpkin or pumpkin puree
  • 100 grams brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 15 grams flour
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • 15 grams flour
  • 60 grams crushed pecans

More Sourdough Recipes to Try

Slices of pumpkin sourdough bread swirled with cinnamon and pecans
Print

Sweet Sourdough Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon and Pecans

Sweet sourdough pumpkin bread is the most delicious pumpkin bread you will ever have. My pumpkin sourdough bread is a simple sourdough loaf recipe with roasted pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans incorporated.

  • Author: Kaitlynn Fenley
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • fermentation time: 8 hours
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 9 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 16
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

dough

  • 100 g Sourdough Starter (fed and bubbly)
  • 200 g roasted pumpkin
  • 500 g White Bread Flour
  • 180 g warm Water
  • 30 g maple syrup
  • 10 g Salt
  • A pinch of turmeric for color
  • A pinch of cinnamon

Filling

  • 50 grams pumpkin puree
  • 100 grams brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 15 grams flour
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • 60 grams crushed pecans

Instructions

  1. It’s best to start the sourdough process before 9 am so you have enough time. Depending on the temperature in your home, you may need to adjust the rest and rise times. If it is warmer in your home, the dough will ferment faster. If it is colder, it will ferment slower. There is also sugar in this bread, so it may rise much faster. Monitor the dough closely to avoid over proofing.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the starter, pumpkin, flour, water, maple syrup, turmeric, and cinnamon. 
  3. Knead the ingredients together until a uniform dough ball forms. 
  4. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes. 
  5. Wet your hands, and spray the dough with your water bottle. Sprinkle the salt over the dough, then knead it into the dough. Let rest for 30 more minutes. 
  6. Using a spray bottle filled with water, mist your clean countertop. Wet your hands and wet the top of the dough ball with the spray bottle. Turn the dough out onto the wet counter surface. Scrape out the bowl and rinse the inside of the bowl really well. Leave the bowl wet. 
  7. Stretch and fold the dough. Stretch the top of the dough over the bottom, side over side, and bottom over top. Place the dough back in the bowl with the seam side down. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. 
  8. While the dough rests mix the filling ingredients.
  9. Stretch and Fold 1 + adding the sweet pumpkin pecan filling: Using a spray bottle filled with water, mist your clean countertop again. Wet your hands and wet the top of the dough ball with the spray bottle. Turn the dough out onto the wet counter surface.  Scrape out the bowl and rinse the inside of the bowl really well. Leave the bowl wet. 
  10. Stretch out the dough into a rectangle, but be gentle and do not break or tear it. Spread the mixed filling over the dough.
  11. Fold the ingredients into the dough by folding the top of the dough over the bottom, side over side, and bottom over top. Then you will knead the dough again, knead it until it is mostly smooth and the pecans are evenly distributed through the dough. It will get sticky and some pecans may tear through the dough, that’s okay. Use a bench scraper to keep scooping the dough together. (Please watch the video linked in the blog post if you need more guidance).
  12. Repeat another stretch and fold then place the dough back in the bowl with the seam side down. Let the dough rest for 1 to 2 hours.
  13. Stretch and Fold 2: Using a spray bottle filled with water, mist your clean countertop again. Wet your hands and wet the top of the dough ball with the spray bottle. Turn the dough out onto the wet counter surface. Scrape out the bowl and rinse the inside of the bowl really well. Leave the bowl wet. 
  14. Stretch and fold the dough. Stretch the top of the dough over the bottom, side over side, and bottom over top. Place the dough back in the bowl with the seam side down. Let the dough rest for 2 hours.
  15. Stretch and Fold 3: Using a spray bottle filled with water, mist your clean countertop again. Wet your hands and wet the top of the dough ball with the spray bottle. Turn the dough out onto the wet counter surface. Scrape out the bowl and rinse the inside of the bowl really well. Leave the bowl wet. 
  16. Stretch and fold the dough. Stretch the top of the dough over the bottom, side over side, and bottom over top. Place the dough back in the bowl with the seam side down. Let the dough rest for 1 to 2 hours.
  17. Clean and dry the counter surface you’re working on. Sprinkle some flour on the surface of your counter and coat your hands in a bit of flour. Gently flip the dough out onto the floured surface so that it is seam side up. 
  18. Pre-shape: Gently stretch out the dough, and fold it again. Fold side over side and top over bottom. Then flip the dough over so that the seam side is down on the counter. Tuck under any parts of the dough you need to form a nice circular shape.  Leave the dough on the counter,  sprinkle some flour on the top of the dough, and cover with a tea towel. 
  19. Let the dough rest for 1 hour. 
  20. Sprinkle a little more flour on the top of your pre-shaped dough and on the counter around the dough. With your hands coated in flour, flip the dough over so that the seam side is up again. 
  21. Gently stretch out the dough, and fold it again. Fold side over side and top over bottom. Then flip the dough over so that the seam side is down on the counter. Tuck under any parts of the dough you need to form a nice circular loaf shape. This is the final shaping so take your time with it. 
  22. Coat a proofing basket with flour. Be generous, as you do not want it to stick.  You can also use a bowl lined with a towel and a generous amount of flour. 
  23. Flour your hands and swiftly pick up and flip your dough into the basket. Smooth side down, seam side up. 
  24. Cover and place in the fridge overnight for 8-12 hours. 
  25. After 8-12 hours in the fridge, preheat your dutch oven with the lid, in your oven at 450° F. (see notes on temperature)
  26. Once your oven is preheated, carefully remove your dutch oven and place the lid to the side. *Don’t forget that the pot and the lid are both very hot!*
  27. Cut a large square of parchment paper and place it on the counter. Turn your dough out onto the paper so that the seam side is down and touching the parchment paper. 
  28. Score the dough using a very sharp knife or a scoring tool. 
  29. Picking up all four corners of the parchment paper, move your dough into the dutch oven. 
  30. Place the lid on the dutch oven and bake at 450 F for 35 minutes. 
  31. After baking covered, remove the lid and bake for another 20-30 minutes at 450 F. 
  32. Remove your finished loaf from the dutch oven and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour.

Notes

  • this dough contains sugar, so watch your dough closely to avoid overproofing it.

Keywords: pumpkin, sourdough, bread

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12 comments

Rachel Van Tol October 7, 2022 - 8:22 am

I’m attempting this! I mixed the starter, flour maple syrup and water but I don’t know when to add the pumpkin, turmeric, cinnamon into the dough?

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley October 7, 2022 - 8:30 am

oops!
It looks like those ingredients were not showing up in the first directions for some reason! Let me fix it!

You can go ahead and knead those ingredients in before moving on to the next steps.

Reply
Rachel Van Tol October 7, 2022 - 9:03 am

Yeah, adding the pumpkin in after the first 45mim rest isn’t working at all 😅 I’ll start over. Thanks for the quick reply!

Reply
Ashley October 24, 2022 - 12:20 pm

Another excellent recipe. I made this a few days ago and it was so good. The dough will be wet but don’t worry it makes such a beautiful moist loaf! Loved this and I am going to make another one or two before this fall season is over. Thanks for such genius recipes.

Reply
Jackie November 2, 2022 - 10:32 am

I was so surprised at how soft this bread turned out! the recipe is right though, it’s very easy to overproof with all the added sugar. I kept a close eye on my dough though and it came out perfect.

Reply
Faigy Shapiro December 9, 2022 - 9:58 am

I’m in middle of making the recipe and the filing says 15g flour twice. Do I add it twice or is it a typo? Really appreciate your website! And all the valuable info ❤️

Reply
Cultured Guru Admin December 10, 2022 - 9:54 am

It’s a typo. Thanks for pointing it out!

Reply
Lexxie September 15, 2023 - 10:46 am

This recipe is amazing!! It is a more detailed stretch and fold series than I am used to, but it is worth it! The bread has a perfect hint of sweetness and the sourdough balances it out so well. This was my first attempt at sourdough with add-ins and it turned out so well! I made slices from the bread into french toast, amazing! Will be making this again soon thank you Kaitlynn!

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley September 15, 2023 - 11:58 am

I’m excited to hear that you loved this recipe! It’s one of my favorites. Thank you for leaving a review!

Reply
Anonymous September 17, 2023 - 2:30 pm

I wish the recipe have cup

Reply
Bethany Rios September 18, 2023 - 6:26 pm

Hi! You suggest starting this by 9AM – is that feeding your starter at 9AM, or mixing everything at 9AM? Thanks 😊

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley September 18, 2023 - 7:14 pm

9 am to begin the directions in this recipe. Your starter should already be fed when you begin.

Reply