Fluffy and perfectly sweet pumpkin sourdough bread with a cinnamon swirl center! My favorite sourdough creation yet! I’ve included detailed photos and steps below for those that are like me and need more visuals to follow!

If you’ve been making sourdough for sometime, this recipe should be straight-forward and more or less the same as your usual process! The one difference to a regular loaf (besides the pumpkin we’re adding to the dough) is the cinnamon sugar swirl that gets added when we shape our dough. Otherwise, it should be really simple and the waiting is the hardest part (as is with all sourdough loaves)!

The process:

The first step for our pumpkin loaf is, of course, mixing the dough! I kept this as simple as possible:

Just mix your starter, water, pumpkin, and maple syrup, then add your flour and salt. I like to first mix this with a wooden spoon, then switch to clean hands to continue mixing until well combined. Dough will be shaggy at this stage.

Keep your dough in the bowl you mixed in and cover with a towel.

Set a timer for 2 hours. Every 30 minutes, perform a stretch and fold.

How to perform a stretch and fold: Stretch one side of your dough up and into the center (see image above). Turn your bowl and repeat this for all 4 sides of your dough.

After this 2 hours is up, depending on your timing you can either bulk ferment in your refrigerator overnight, or you can let your dough rise on the counter for about 4-5 hours until doubled in size. Both options have directions in the recipe below!

Once dough has doubled in size, remove from the bowl onto a clean and floured work station.

Shape your dough:

  1. Stretch dough out as much as you can without tearing into a rectangle.
  2. Sprinkle about 1/2 of your cinnamon sugar mixture over this rectangle.
  3. Fold one long side of your rectangle into the center.
  4. Repeat this fold with the other side of your rectangle.
  5. Roll the dough from the bottom into itself.
  6. Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar mixture each time you fold the dough.
  7. Repeat.
  8. Repeat.
  9. Pull the ball of dough toward you, then gently push forward. Repeat this a few times to continue shaping your dough into a smooth ball. Let sit on the counter for 15 minutes.

Steps 10-12: You will repeat the letter shaping process, only this time much more gently and only stretching the dough the slightest bit. Gently push and bowl dough again into a smooth ball.

Now you’ll lift your dough (it will be a more wet dough) with your bench scraper into a lined proofing basket sprinkled with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to rest and continue rising.

In the last hour of refrigeration, preheat your oven to 450°F with your cast iron pot (I use this bread oven).

Remove dough onto a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with flour. Flour the top of your loaf. Score your loaf with some shallow cuts and one deep “C” score. Carefully place into your preheated pot/bread oven.

Cover, bake, uncover, bake a bit more. Let your loaf cool before enjoying the most delicious fluffy and perfectly sweet loaf of pumpkin cinnamon swirl sourdough bread!

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread

  • Author: Mia Swinehart
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 1 standard loaf 1x

Description

Easy pumpkin cinnamon swirl sourdough loaf!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 100g sourdough starter (active and bubbly)
  • 200g pumpkin puree
  • 25g maple syrup
  • 240g filtered water
  • 500g bread flour
  • 12g salt

For the cinnamon sugar swirl:

  • 4g cinnamon
  • 5g pumpkin pie spice
  • 87g sugar (coconut sugar or regular sugar work)

Instructions

Same day (counter ferment) baking schedule: 

  1. Feed your starter the night before to allow it to become active and bubbly (I like to do it as late as possible, right before going to bed).
  2. Around 6-7am the day you want to make your loaf: In a large bowl, weigh out your starter, water, pumpkin, and maple syrup. Mix together until smooth.
  3. Add your flour and salt to the pumpkin mixture. Mix for a minute or so with a wooden spoon to help get the mixing started, then finish mixing with clean hands until everything is well combined. Dough will be shaggy and a bit sticky. Cover with a kitchen towel.
  4. Let covered dough sit for 2 hours. During this 2 hours, perform a stretch and fold every 30 minutes, for a total of 4 stretch and folds.
  5. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter for 4-5 hours to allow to double in size.
  6. After dough has doubled in size, make your cinnamon sugar mixture and set aside. Turn dough out onto a clean and floured work surface.
  7. Stretch dough out as much as you can, without tearing, into a large rectangle.

  8. Sprinkle about 1/2 of your cinnamon sugar mixture over this rectangle.

  9. Perform a letter fold: Fold one long side of your rectangle into the center. Repeat this fold with the other side of your rectangle. Roll the dough from the bottom into itself, sprinkling more cinnamon sugar mixture each time you fold the dough (see images above for visuals).

  10. Pull the ball of dough toward you, then gently push forward. Repeat this a few times to continue building tension and shaping your dough into a smooth ball. Let sit on the counter for 15 minutes.
  11. Repeat the letter shaping process, only this time much more gently and only stretching the dough the slightest bit each time you fold. Gently push and bowl dough again into a smooth ball, then use a bench scraper to turn dough over into a lined and floured proofing basket, seam side up.
  12. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to let dough rest and continue rising.
  13. In the last hour of refrigeration, preheat your oven to 450°F with your cast iron pot.
  14. Remove dough onto a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with flour. Flour the top of your loaf. Score your loaf with some shallow cuts and one deep “C” score. Carefully place into your preheated pot/bread oven. Cover pot and bake for 35 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking another 5-10 minutes, until crust begins to brown.
  15. Allow loaf to completely cool before slicing and enjoying!

Overnight refrigeration bulk ferment schedule:

  1. Feed your starter as early as possible in the morning to allow it to become active and bubbly.
  2. Sometime between 12pm-2pm the day before you want to make your loaf: In a large bowl, weigh out your starter, water, pumpkin, and maple syrup. Mix together until smooth.
  3. Add your flour and salt to the pumpkin mixture. Mix for a minute or so with a wooden spoon to help get the mixing started, then finish mixing with clean hands until everything is well combined. Dough will be shaggy and a bit sticky. Cover with a kitchen towel.
  4. Let covered dough sit for 2 hours. During this 2 hours, perform a stretch and fold every 30 minutes, for a total of 4 stretch and folds.
  5. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight to allow dough to about double in size.
  6. The following morning, between 6-9am: Make your cinnamon sugar mixture and set aside. Turn dough out onto a clean and floured work surface.
  7. Stretch dough out as much as you can, without tearing, into a large rectangle.
  8. Sprinkle about 1/2 of your cinnamon sugar mixture over this rectangle.
  9. Perform a letter fold: Fold one long side of your rectangle into the center. Repeat this fold with the other side of your rectangle. Roll the dough from the bottom into itself, sprinkling more cinnamon sugar mixture each time you fold the dough (see images above for visuals).
  10. Pull the ball of dough toward you, then gently push forward. Repeat this a few times to continue building tension and shaping your dough into a smooth ball. Let sit on the counter for 15 minutes.
  11. Repeat the letter shaping process, only this time much more gently and only stretching the dough the slightest bit each time you fold. Gently push and bowl dough again into a smooth ball, then use a bench scraper to turn dough over into a lined and floured proofing basket, seam side up.
  12. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to let dough rest and continue rising.
  13. In the last hour of refrigeration, preheat your oven to 450°F with your cast iron pot.
  14. Remove dough onto a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with flour. Flour the top of your loaf. Score your loaf with some shallow cuts and one deep “C” score. Carefully place into your preheated pot/bread oven. Cover pot and bake for 35 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking another 5-10 minutes, until crust begins to brown.
  15. Allow loaf to completely cool before slicing and enjoying!


Breakfast, Dairy Free, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Category:

Sep 22, 2024

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread

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  1. Katie says:

    Wow, this turned out amazing! Will definitely be making on repeat! Thanks for the super thorough directions with photos! So helpful

    • Sarah Schultek says:

      My dough was very wet. Baked an additional 25 min and still very gummy and raw. Followed recipe exactly. Any tips? I’d love to try it again.

      • Nicole says:

        I’m having this issue as well! When I added it to my proofing basket it was super wet, like all the sugar in the cinnamon swirl just melted. I haven’t baked yet but I’m concerned about whether it’ll hold shape.

        • Laura says:

          mine was super wet too as I did the cinnamon swirl part — when I shaped it into the ball the dough kind of tore and I kept pinching it to seal it…then i just shoved it in a banneton as is. I was amazed how well it turned out despite the “messiness”. I’m trying another loaf today. I’m going to let it rise, add cinnamon swirl, shape…and THEN put it in the fridge overnight before baking (instead of letting it do the first rise in the fridge). We shall see. It’s the first flavored sourdough I’ve made that actually tastes like the add-in ingredient (pumpkin).

          • Grage says:

            Mine turned out great but I didn’t follow this recipe’s proofing schedule. I followed the weights of starter/flour/pumpkin/water/sugar/cinnamon of this recipe and then just fit it into my normal sourdough loaf protocol. Made it for a halloween party and everyone said it was to die for! I even whipped up a little cinnamon bun icing to drizzle on top.

  2. Annichen Mitchell says:

    Hi! I’m so excited to make this. Do you think it would be good to add some mini chocolate chips to this? If so, would I just incorporate at the same time as the cinnamon mixture?

  3. Cynthia says:

    This turned out delicious! I haven’t made a sourdough bread with a swirl like this before, but the pictures and instructions made it straightforward. I’ll definitely make it again!

  4. Claudia says:

    Hello,
    How long can the dough be refrigerated overnight? I’m looking forward in trying this recipe.

  5. Lovey says:

    I just made this recipe and am going to make a few more loaves for my adult kids this week. It makes the best toast. Yum!

  6. Colleen says:

    I made this recipe and it tastes amazing. I had an issue with my dough getting liquidy after I added the cinnamon sugar mix. Very difficult to keep the dough together to roll up. I followed the instructions. Any feedback on what went wrong? I definitely want to make this recipe again!

    • Nicole says:

      I wonder if adding some flour to the cinnamon sugar mixture might help? That’s something that’s done with cinnamon rolls sometimes. I’m going to try it.

      • Pamela D Romines says:

        Nicole, did you have any success by adding flour to the sugar & seasoning mix- to prevent oozing? I cut the sugar in half and still had oozing even after working hard to avoid getting sugar on the outside of the dough. I double this recipe every time I make it because it’s my husband’s favorite sourdough bread…and mine, too! PS I restrict water by 40 g per loaf, which makes it much easier to work with, and I don’t do a 2nd letter fold during shaping because it would tear the dough too much! The same day method makes the dough slack if you let it completely double, so I try to stop the rise at 75%, or do an overnight cold retard. Thanks for an amazing recipe!

  7. Cathy H. says:

    I’m new to the sourdough bakes . This recipe was very easy to follow . I’m on my third loaf . Each loaf better than the next ❤️

  8. Andie says:

    Absolutely loved this recipe! The bread was delicious! Even more delicious aa toast!
    Easy to follow instructions. I am making a second loaf right now for my son!

  9. This is a great recipe (same day version). I made this at my wife’s request – we both are enjoying it very much – toasted with a little butter or cream cheese is great. I had a little trouble following the recipe at points – but it worked out nicely – thanks – John

  10. Nicki says:

    Do you use the entire cinnamon sprinkle in the bread or do you save some to put on top of your slices?

  11. Grace says:

    That’s Great.

  12. Hannah Hudson says:

    LOVE this recipe!!! Been making it on repeat!!!

  13. Sabrina Sweeney says:

    I just realized I don’t have bread flour. Has anyone used ALP flour with success by chance? TIA!

  14. Catherine Mulford-Lemus says:

    INSANELY GOOD. I’m new to sourdough so this is one of my first bakes but it was so easy to follow. The bread was delicious and great in a ton of forms 🙂

  15. Julia says:

    How can I make this with active dry yeast instead of starter?

  16. Sarah says:

    I cannot do a second letter fold process. The dough is to wet and sticky for that. One letter fold and shaping process is sufficient for me to have a fabulous result. I would say it was better without the second letter fold because the layers were more defined and the bottom had less leakage therefore it burned less upon baking.

  17. Jen G. says:

    Making my first loaf now. Has anyone tried it with whole-wheat starter? I would like to try that as well.

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Simple. Attainable. Gathered Nutrition.