The Beautiful Sourdough Pumpkin Loaf
Fall is the time for all things pumpkin! And if you love sourdough, I am sure you’ve seen the beautiful sourdough pumpkin loaf. So, I’m going to show you how to make your own! It’s simple and would make the perfect addition to your fall dinner or Thanksgiving table.
This pumpkin loaf tastes just like a regular sourdough artisan loaf, but it looks beautiful and decorative!
How to make the sourdough pumpkin loaf
Prep
First you’ll need to make your favorite sourdough loaf recipe. You can find my favorite sourdough loaf here. Once your dough is ready, you’ll take butcher twine and cut 3 to 4 pieces of even length twine. I personally prefer the look of my loaf when I use 3 pieces of twine. I find that about 18-20 inches of twine, per piece, works well. Soak your butcher twine in melted coconut oil or olive oil for about 30 minutes. This is an important step that helps keep the butcher twine from sticking to your loaf, after baking. No one wants little twine hairs on their bread! I also like to cut out little circles of parchment paper to place on the bottom and top of the loaf, underneath the twine. This really helps remove the butcher twine later. Also make sure you dust your loaf with a little flour.
Tie the twine
Place a piece of parchment paper down and lay the twine out on a clean, smooth surface. You will want to overlap the twine and keep the cross over in the center. You can use 3 or 4 pieces of twine. I place a little circle of parchment paper over the twine in the center, to help with removing the twine. Try to get the spaces between each piece of twine pretty equal, but pumpkins aren’t perfect in real life, so don’t stress too much! Gently place your loaf onto the twine, as centered as possible. I like to place another small circle of parchment paper on the top of my loaf. You will grab one piece of twine from each strand and tie them loosely together. You do not want them too tight or it can cause the dough to expand too much in one area.
Finishing touches
After you’ve tied all of your twine, cut off the access twine so you are left with just the knot at the top of the loaf. Now you can score your dough however you’d like! And now it’s time to bake!
After baking
Once your loaf is done baking, carefully remove it from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, you’ll carefully remove the butcher twine by cutting the twine at the top and pulling it off slowly. Then you can add a stem to make it look like a pumpkin. I like using a cinnamon stick.
Enjoy!
Finally you get to enjoy your delicious sourdough pumpkin shaped loaf!
Don’t have a sourdough starter and want to begin baking sourdough? Visit my sourdough starter post here!
