- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Sourdough, Fall Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 450g bread flour
- 100g pumpkin puree (unsweetened)
- 100g active sourdough starter
- 250g water
- 8g salt
- 2 tbsp brown sugar (in dough)
- 2 tbsp melted butter (for brushing)
- 3 tbsp cinnamon sugar (for filling)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted)
Instructions
1. In a bowl, mix starter, water, and pumpkin puree until smooth.
2. Add flour, salt, and brown sugar. Mix into a sticky dough. Rest 30 minutes.
3. Do 3–4 rounds of stretch and folds every 30 minutes.
4. Laminate in the cinnamon sugar and chopped pecans gently.
5. Shape into round or batard. Rest 30 minutes.
6. Transfer to banneton or lined bowl. Cold proof overnight.
7. Preheat Dutch oven to 475°F.
8. Flip dough onto parchment, score, and bake covered for 20 mins.
9. Uncover and bake another 25 mins until golden.
10. Brush warm loaf with melted butter. Cool before slicing.
Notes Pumpkin Sourdough Bread with Pecans
Optional: Add a maple glaze drizzle for a dessert-style finish. Use fresh, unsweetened pumpkin puree for best flavor.How to Serve Pumpkin Sourdough Bread with Pecans
Serving Pumpkin Sourdough Bread with Pecans and Making It Even Better. The first slice of warm pumpkin sourdough bread with pecans is something special. Serve it just slightly cooled, brushed with butter, and maybe a touch of flaky salt on the crust. The sweetness, crunch, and tang are in perfect balance. For a more dessert-like twist, whip up a quick maple glaze: powdered sugar, a splash of maple syrup, and a touch of milk. Drizzle it over the loaf once it’s cooled a bit. This brings it even closer to a pecan sticky bun without the fuss. This bread pairs beautifully with warm apple cider, a spiced chai, or your favorite fall roast. For breakfast, toast a thick slice and top with apple butter or cream cheese. The toasted pecans get extra crisp, and the pumpkin flavor deepens.Step-by-Step Instructions & Ingredients Pumpkin Sourdough Bread with Pecans
Spice, Texture, and Tang: The Flavor Equation:- Creating deeply flavorful pumpkin sourdough bread with pecans is more than mixing ingredients it’s about layering textures and balancing earthiness, sweetness, and tang. That begins with pumpkin puree. Not the spiced pie filling kind, but plain, smooth roasted pumpkin. It adds moisture and a subtle warmth that plays perfectly with cinnamon sugar.
- Next, the sourdough starter brings its signature tang. If yours is active and bubbly, you’re already halfway to great bread. Not sure how yours is doing? Try my No Discard Sourdough Starter method to keep things easy and low-waste.
- Brown sugar folded into the dough offers just enough caramel notes to enrich the base, while a cinnamon sugar swirl during lamination delivers the sweet-spiced contrast.
- And don’t skip the pecans they’re more than garnish. Their buttery crunch anchors the softness of the crumb and makes every slice interesting. Toast them lightly before folding in, and they’ll offer a nutty aroma that deepens in the oven.
- Stick with bread flour for best results. The higher protein content provides structure to hold those layers of sugar and nuts. Pumpkin adds softness, so we want the dough to remain strong enough to rise tall and bake evenly. Hydration hovers around 70%, which keeps it manageable even for newer bakers.
- Give your dough time. After mixing, allow it to rest and stretch gently. Sourdough doesn’t need to be rushed especially when you’re chasing a light, airy crumb.
- Cold proofing overnight brings everything together: flavor, strength, and that signature sourdough depth. When you bake it, the crust will sing. And the smell? Pure autumn bliss.
- Next, I’ll guide you step-by-step through folding, shaping, and baking this beauty to golden perfection.
- Now that you’ve built the base flavor, it’s time to add the magic: lamination. For this pumpkin sourdough bread with pecans, laminating the dough with cinnamon sugar and pecans ensures each slice has swirls of sweetness and crunch. Think of it as a rustic cinnamon roll-meets-country loaf.
- After your final stretch and fold, let the dough rest. Then, turn it out onto a lightly damp surface not floured. Gently press it out into a large rectangle. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar and chopped, toasted pecans. Then fold it like a letter left over center, right over left.
- Shape your laminated dough into a batard or boule. If the filling spills out, that’s okay. Those caramelized bits on the crust? Worth it. Let the shaped dough rest again for about 30 minutes before transferring to a banneton or bowl lined with a towel for the cold proof.
- A hot Dutch oven is your best friend. Preheat it to 475°F (245°C) while your dough finishes proofing in the fridge overnight. This cold start ensures a bold oven spring and crispy crust.
- Flip the dough onto parchment, score with a sharp lame or knife, and carefully transfer it into the hot pot. Cover and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on this traps steam and sets the crust. Then uncover and bake 25 more minutes to let the loaf brown beautifully.
- Right out of the oven, brush it with melted butter. The crust drinks it in. Let the loaf cool if you can resist. But if not? Warm slices with a drizzle of maple glaze are fair game.
