How to Make Decorative Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
There’s nothing quite like the warm, cozy aroma of freshly baked sourdough pumpkin bread filling your kitchen. This decorative loaf is a fun twist on classic sourdough bread and makes the perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table or any fall gathering. With its beautiful pumpkin shape, golden brown crust, and subtle pumpkin flavor, it’s sure to impress family and friends. Whether you’re an experienced baker or trying this technique for the first time, this recipe walks you through each step to create a stunning, pumpkin-shaped loaf that tastes as good as it looks.
**This post contains affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn a small commission by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated websites.
Why This Recipe Works
The pumpkin purée adds moisture, subtle sweetness, and a beautiful fall color to the loaf. Brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice bring cozy seasonal flavor without making it overly sweet like a quick bread. Allowing time for the dough rest, completing several sets of stretch and folds, and giving the dough a cold overnight fermentation all help develop gluten strength and deep flavor. The result is a perfectly balanced sourdough loaf with a soft, airy interior and a crisp, golden brown crust. Shaping it into a pumpkin adds a fun and festive touch that makes it stand out on the Thanksgiving table or during any fall holiday gathering.
Ingredients & Setup for Decorative Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
- 110 g active sourdough starter
- 150 g pumpkin purée (either homemade or canned)
- 250 g room temperature water
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 75 g brown sugar
- 10 g salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Additional supplies: a round banneton basket (or a bowl lined with a tea towel), pieces of twine or kitchen string (food-grade), parchment paper or a silicone bread sling, a hot dutch oven, and a cinnamon stick for the “stem”
How to Make Decorative Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, pumpkin purée, and room temperature water. Stir until smooth and fully combined.
Add the Dry Ingredients
Add the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until a rough dough forms and everything is evenly incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and allow the dough to rest for 1 hour. This dough rest helps the flour absorb the moisture and begin developing gluten naturally.
Perform the Stretch and Folds
After the dough has rested, complete 3 sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. To do this, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up gently, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat until you’ve stretched all four sides. This helps strengthen the bread dough without kneading.
Let the Dough Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
After the final set of stretch and folds, cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for about 3 hours, or until it has almost doubled in size. The exact time depends on your dough temperature and ambient temperature.
Shape the Dough
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop. Gently stretch it thin without tearing, then fold it over itself and roll it up to form a tight ball. Use your hands to shape it by dragging it in a circular motion on the counter until it holds a smooth, round shape.
Prepare for Cold Fermentation
Lightly dust a banneton basket or proofing basket with rice flour to prevent sticking. Place the dough seam-side up into the basket, cover it, and refrigerate it for at least 12 hours or overnight. This cold fermentation enhances flavor and makes scoring easier.
Preheat the Oven
The next morning, place your dutch oven (or combo cooker) into the oven and preheat to 450°F.
Arrange the Dough for Baking
Remove the dough from the fridge. Cut 3–4 long pieces of kitchen string and tie them together at the center so the knot sits in the middle. Lightly coat the twine with avocado oil or olive oil, removing any excess. Lay the oiled twine across the top of the dough in the banneton with the knot centered. Place a piece of parchment paper or a silicone sling over the top of the dough and gently flip it out so the strings are now underneath. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, then pull the twine up and over the loaf, tying each piece loosely on top to form equal sections for the pumpkin shape. Avoid tying too tightly — the bread will expand in the oven on its own to create that beautiful pumpkin design.
Score and Bake
Using a sharp razor blade or bread lame, score each section of the loaf for controlled expansion. Carefully lift the dough (with parchment) and place it into the hot dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is golden brown.
Cool and Decorate
Transfer the loaf to a wire rack or cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before cutting or removing the strings. Once cooled, gently cut off any excess string and remove it. Insert a cinnamon stick into the center of the dough to create the perfect pumpkin stem.
Tips for Best Results
- Make sure your active starter is healthy and bubbly—this ensures strong wild yeast activity.
- Keeping the dough temperature moderate (room temperature for rest + cold overnight) helps manage fermentation.
- Cold fermentation in the fridge enhances flavor and makes scoring easier.
- Preheating the dutch oven ensures you get good oven spring and a crisp crust.
- Don’t tie the pieces of string too tightly — you want them to mark the pumpkin segments but not compress the dough.
- Use parchment or a sling for easy transfer and minimal fuss.
- Let the loaf cool fully before slicing — this preserves the crumb structure and makes cutting cleaner.
Final Thoughts
This decorative pumpkin sourdough bread is the perfect blend of creativity and tradition. It brings the comfort of classic sourdough bread together with the festive charm of fall. From the subtle pumpkin flavor to the beautiful pumpkin shape, every detail makes it a show-stopping loaf for the Thanksgiving table or any fall holiday gathering.
Whether you’re baking it for the first time or adding it to your favorite sourdough recipes, this loaf is sure to become a seasonal favorite. The soft crumb, golden brown crust, and hint of pumpkin spice make it just as delicious as it is beautiful. Serve it warm with butter, drizzle it with maple syrup, or use slices for the best French toast you’ve ever had.
Decorative Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- Banneton basket or proofing basket
- Plastic wrap or towel
- Dutch oven or combo cooker
- Parchment paper or silicone bread sling
- Kitchen scale
- Pieces of kitchen twine or food-grade string
- Razor blade or bread lame
- Wire rack or cooling rack
- Cinnamon stick (for the pumpkin stem)
Ingredients
- 110 g active sourdough starter
- 150 g pumpkin purée
- 250 g room temperature water
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 75 g brown sugar
- 10 g salt
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Avocado oil or olive oil for greasing twine
- Rice flour for dusting banneton
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, pumpkin purée, and room temperature water. Stir until smooth.
- Add flour, brown sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until fully combined. Cover and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
- Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart, to strengthen the dough.
- Cover and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 3 hours or until it has almost doubled in size.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface, stretch it gently without tearing, then fold and roll it into a tight ball.
- Place the dough seam-side up in a floured banneton basket. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours for a cold fermentation.
- The next morning, place a Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450°F. Cut 3–4 long pieces of kitchen string and tie them together at the center so the knot sits in the middle. Lightly coat the twine with avocado oil or olive oil, removing any excess. Lay the oiled twine across the top of the dough in the banneton with the knot centered.
- Place a piece of parchment paper or a silicone sling over the top of the dough and gently flip it out so the strings are now underneath. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, then pull the twine up and over the loaf, tying each piece loosely on top to form equal sections for the pumpkin shape. Avoid tying too tightly — the bread will expand in the oven on its own to create the pumpkin design.
- Score each section of the loaf with a razor blade and carefully place the dough (with parchment) into the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
- Remove the loaf and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Cut and remove the strings, then insert a cinnamon stick into the center of the dough for the stem.
