How to Make a Sourdough Pumpkin Loaf

I am starting to really embrace the change in seasons. I am no longer sad when summer comes to an end, but rather look forward to what the new season has to offer. And for Autumn, my friends, that means everything pumpkin and pumpkin spice! And this sourdough pumpkin loaf has both! It’s delicious, moist, and is the perfect after-dinner dessert or mid-afternoon snack with your tea or coffee.

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Pumpkin spice and all things nice

For this recipe, you will need 1 tbsp of pumpkin spice. You can buy it already blended, but if you have a well-stocked spice rack you may already have what you need on hand.

Link to learn how to make Pumpkin Spice Mix yourself.

What is long fermenting?

For starters (pun intended), you need a sourdough starter. You can read about how easy it is to start or where to buy if that is more your thing in my How to Start a Sourdough Starter from Scratch post.

Read about some benefits to Sourdough Bread in my How to Make Sourdough Tortillas post. You can access all my Sourdough recipes here.

Long fermenting sourdough is when you mix your sourdough starter with the flour and a few other ingredients (that won’t typically go bad if left on the counter overnight) and allowing it to sit at room temperature for around 12 to 24 hours before finishing the recipe and cooking.

This waiting period allows the active ingredients in the starter to work on the other ingredients. According to the website Cultures for Health; the long fermentation process:

1. Allows for better digestion of the sourdough food
2. Better flavour
3. Don’t need to knead the dough as much

What you need to make Sourdough Pumpkin Loaf

Dry Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups organic unbleached flour
• 1 tbsp pumpkin spice mix
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar or 2 tbsp if using Spenda brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter, stirred
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 to 1.5 cups pumpkin puree

Toppings (optional)

• 10 pecans (or other nuts of choice)

Recommended tools

• Stand mixer
• Glass baking dish

Instructions for long fermented method

1. The day before or 8-24 hours before, mix the following ingredients in the bowl of the Stand Mixer, sourdough starter, honey, room temperature butter, and flour.
2. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a beeswax sheet or plastic wrap.
3. The next day (or 12-24 hours later)…Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bread baking pan.
4. Check the firmness of the dough. If it feels to hard to work, place it in the preheating oven for 3-5 minutes. This should soften the butter and honey enough to be able to work in the remaining ingredients.
5. Place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer, and attach the paddle attachment.
6. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix on low to medium speed until mostly incorporated.
7. Add the remaining ingredients, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, salt, and baking soda.
8. Pour into the greased baking pan, and add your toppings (optional).

9. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the center is fully cooked.
10. Poke a fork or chopstick in the center. If it comes out clean the center is cooked, if it comes out with gooey batter stuck to it, it needs another 5-10 minutes of cooking time.
11. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving to prevent the loaf from falling apart.

Instructions for quick cooking method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bread baking pan.
2. Mix all dry ingredients (flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt), in a bowl and set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer, mix the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and continuing mixing until incorporated.
5. Mix in the honey, sourdough starter, and vanilla.
6. Slowing add in the dry ingredients to the wet. Continue to mix until sticky dough forms (about 1-2 minutes).
7. Add in the pumpkin puree and mix just until fully incorporated.
8. Pour into the greased baking pan, and add your toppings (optional).
9. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the center is fully cooked.
10. Poke a fork or chopstick in the center. If it comes out clean the center is cooked, if it comes out with gooey batter stuck to it, it needs another 5-10 minutes of cooking time.
11. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving to prevent the loaf from falling apart.

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