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Leslie Helen

simple muse | keeping life simple and fun

pumpkin

How to Make a Sourdough Pumpkin Loaf

October 24, 2021 by Leslie Helen Leave a Comment

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.

pumpkin loaf with butter on top
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This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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
flour, salt, pumpkin spice and 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).
pumpkin loaf topped with pecans before baking
  1. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the center is fully cooked.
  2. 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.
  3. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving to prevent the loaf from falling apart.
baked pumpkin spice loaf topped with pecans

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.
slice of pumpkin loaf topped with melted butter on a plate with a fork
pumpkin loaf with butter on top

Pumpkin Loaf

This pumpkin loaf is delicious heated with a layer of butter and is a perfect pairing with your afternoon tea or coffee, or served as a dessert with ice cream on the side.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 d
Cook Time 1 hr
Course Breakfast, Dessert

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients

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

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)

Instructions
 

Quick Cooking Method

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bread baking pan.
  • Mix all dry ingredients (flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt), in a bowl and set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer, mix the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add in the eggs, one at a time, and continuing mixing until incorporated.
  • Mix in the honey, sourdough starter, and vanilla.
  • Slowing add in the dry ingredients to the wet. Continue to mix until sticky dough forms (about 1-2 minutes).
  • Add in the pumpkin puree and mix just until fully incorporated.
  • Pour into the greased baking pan, and add your toppings (optional).
  • Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the center is fully cooked.
  • 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.
  • Let cool for 20 minutes before serving to prevent the loaf from falling apart.

Long Fermenting Method

  • 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.
  • Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a beeswax sheet or plastic wrap.
  • The next day (or 12-24 hours later)…
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bread baking pan.
  • 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.
  • Place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer, and attach the paddle attachment.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix on low to medium speed until mostly incorporated.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, salt, and baking soda.
  • Pour into the greased baking pan, and add your toppings (optional).
  • Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the center is fully cooked.
  • 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.
  • Let cool for 20 minutes before serving to prevent the loaf from falling apart.

Save for later!

pumpkin loaf pin

More from Simple Muse!

  • How to Make Sourdough Banana Muffins
  • How to Make Carbonara Sauce
  • The Burlington Waterfront on Lake Ontario
  • Make an Easter Braided Egg Bread using a Bread Machine
  • Know the Features of Anti-Theft Travel Bags

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes, Sourdough Tagged With: bread, loaf, pumpkin, pumpkin spice

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Mix

October 10, 2021 by Leslie Helen 2 Comments

When I think of fall I think of changing weather, cozy nights, brisk mornings, plaid flannel layers, and everything pumpkin! Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, and pumpkin decor!

Pumpkin spice mix is a staple in my pantry. I make my own and use it in pies, drinks, muffins, and loaves.

Jump to Recipe

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

What Spices Are Used?

  • Cinnamon – made from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree. It has a sweet and woody flavour.
  • Nutmeg – made from the seed of the Indonesian Nutmeg evergreen tree, it has a warm and nutty flavour.
  • Ginger – dried ginger root. Has a warm bite with a hint of sweetness.
  • Cloves – come from the buds of the Clove evergreen tree. Thay have a very powerful flavour aroma.
clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger spices in a glass bowl

Where Did This Spice Mix get its Name?

Pumpkin spice got its name because these spices were often used in recipes that contained pumpkin. Marketers in the 50’s started selling this blend of premixed spice mix to save consumers time and effort.

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Mix

Ingredients:

  • 4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg in a glass jar

In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Store in an airtight container.

pumpkin spice in a glass jar

Try it in my pumpkin loaf recipe!

pumpkin spice mix

Pumpkin Spice Mix

The smell and taste of pumpkin spice mix is everything Autumn all captured in a bottle. Use this mix in pumpkin pie, pumpkin loaf or to spice up your favourite fall drinks.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins

Equipment

  • Bottle to store spice mix
  • Label maker

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Store in an airtight container.

Save for later!

pumpkin spice pin

Check out these other posts!

  • How to Make Sourdough Banana Muffins
  • How to Make Carbonara Sauce
  • The Burlington Waterfront on Lake Ontario
  • Make an Easter Braided Egg Bread using a Bread Machine
  • Know the Features of Anti-Theft Travel Bags

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: pumpkin, spice

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Hi! I’m Leslie Helen. I am passionate about finding ways to keep life simple and fun for my own sanity and for my family’s. Join me for new posts every week! Read more about me here.

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