A can of pumpkin puree gives these classic sourdough loaves lots of good pumpkin flavor and the best soft texture. They have just the right amount of sweetness and spice thanks to the ripple of cinnamon-brown sugar throughout!
This recipe uses a whole can of pumpkin puree and will give you two loaves of bread.
Using a whole can for one loaf is simply too much pumpkin, and using half a can will leave you with the other half to keep in your fridge for months on end thinking you will find a use for it, then forgetting about it, and finally being faced with the disgusting task of disposing of it.
(If you're anything like me, that is.)
Instead of having an annoying amount of a canned good leftover, I like to make two loaves of bread. There is so much you can do with the extra loaf!
- Slice it and eat it (you won't be sick of it after the first loaf is gone!)
- Make the best French toast you've ever had with it!
- Cube it and cook it in bacon fat to make some really good, slightly sweet bacon-pumpkin croutons. Put them on all your fall soups and salads.
- Slice it and bag it up and put it in your local food pantry.
And all of these ideas are infinitely better than having leftover pumpkin puree in the back of your fridge.
(Though if you really only want one loaf, you can most definitely halve the recipe!)
Pumpkin puree in sourdough
The pumpkin puree serves three important functions in this bread:
- Texture: pumpkin puree acts similarly to potato in bread recipes - it makes the final product extra soft.
- Flavor: Since there's a generous amount of pumpkin puree in this recipe, you get lots of pumpkin flavor in the bread. I will say that if you're not a fan of pumpkin, you may want to skip this loaf. (Or just eat it with a heavy spread of salty butter.)
- Color: It just looks like the perfect fall bread.
I highly recommend just using a can of puree here! You can read my thoughts on homemade pumpkin puree here.
The dough
You'll mix this up just like you would a regular sourdough recipe. The only difference at the mixing stage is that pumpkin puree gets mixed along with the water and starter.
After the initial mixing, the dough will be sticky and shaggy. You'll definitely want to do stretch and folds with this dough - it smooths out quite a bit in the first couple of hours!
Shaping + getting the perfect swirl
Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a floured surface and divide in half.
I like to form each piece of dough into a ball, cover on the counter, and leave for 30 minutes to relax - this helps it to stretch better during shaping.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, press it out into a rectangle. Stretch the dough and dimple it with your fingertips (like you're making focaccia) until it's roughly a 8 by 12-16 inch rectangle. Keep in mind the larger your piece of dough, the longer your swirl will be.
Sprinkle the surface with the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture, leaving small strips of dough uncovered on both of the long edges and one of the shorter edges.
Beginning opposite the uncovered shorter edge, begin rolling the dough into a tight log. Seal the edge, and tuck the ends underneath. Place in an oblong proofing basket or a loaf pan lined with a floured tea towel.
Let the dough rise for another 30 minutes-1 hour. A too-long second rise here will lead to the swirl liquefying and making a mess.
Baking
I like to bake these loaves in metal loaf pans. Since they don't always have the best structure, using loaf pans ensures they still end up a nice shape!
Turn the risen loaf out onto a piece of parchment paper. Score it with three long, slightly shallow scores (deep scores can lead to the swirl leaking out), and place it into a loaf pan. Cover it with another loaf pan and bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, remove the top pan, and bake for another 20 minutes.
Let the loaf cool completely before slicing.
If you want more pumpkin sourdough, try these recipes:
- Pumpkin sourdough discard quick bread (one of the most popular recipes on this site, and for good reason!)
- Pumpkin cinnamon rolls
- Pumpkin muffins with crumble topping
- Sweet potato dinner rolls - Okay, so not pumpkin, but kind of close. These are so soft!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Loaf
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 500 grams water
- 200 grams active sourdough starter
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (this is 425 grams)
- 1000 grams bread flour
- 18 grams salt
For the Swirl
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
Directions
- Mix: In a large bowl, combine the water, starter, and pumpkin puree. Add the flour and salt and mix until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover.Stretch and folds + first rise: Over the next 2-3 hours, do 3-4 rounds of stretch and folds, working your way around the bowl each time. The dough will change drastically as you do this! Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 6 hours more.Shape: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half and shape each half into a round. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes - this is an optional step but will make the dough stretch more easily.Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.Take one of the pieces of dough and press into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Stretch it with your hands and dimple it with your fingertips to shape it into a roughly 8 by 12 (up to a 8 by 16-inch) rectangle. Keep in mind the longer your rectangle is, the more intricate your swirl will be. Sprinkle the top of the dough with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving a strip uncovered on both the longer edges and one of the shorter edges. Beginning opposite the uncovered short edge, roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch to seal the edge once you've reached the other side, and pinch to seal each end.Second rise: Place seam side up in an oblong proofing basket or a loaf pan lined with a floured tea towel. Repeat with the second piece of dough.Cover and let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until slightly puffed up and the dough bounces back slowly if you press on it. Be careful not to stretch the second rise too long with this bread - the sugar will liquefy and seep out of the bread.Toward the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.Bake: Turn each loaf out onto a piece of parchment paper. Score each one with three long, slightly shallow slices (going too deep here can affect the swirl). Transfer to the prepared loaf pans using the parchment paper. Cover each with an inverted loaf pan - this will create the perfect amount of steam. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the middle of the loaf reads at least 200 degrees.Let the loaves cool for a few minutes in the pan, then invert to release. Cool completely on a wire rack.Storage: This bread is best in the first 2 days, but is good toasted a few days beyond that. If you still have some around after that, I highly recommend making French toast and/or croutons!
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