Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

Step 1

Combine 100g active starter 240g water, and mix until mostly combined. Add in 200g pumpkin puree, stirring until smooth. Add in 500g bread flour, mixing until all the flour is incorporated. Cover and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Step 2

Sprinkle 10g of salt over the sourdough, then perform a series of stretches and folds: with wet hands, grab the dough and gently pull it until the flap is long enough to fold over itself, then fold the flap, rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 4 times. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold process 3 times total.

Step 3

Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup dried cranberries and 1 1/2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the dough. Complete 1 last stretch and fold to incorporate the added mixture. Less folding in the sugar mixture will result in pronounced ribbons as pictured above, more folding in will result in a more homogenized dough mixture.

Step 4

Cover the dough and set it aside to bulk ferment for 10-12 hours, or until it doubles.

Step 5

Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a floured surface and pre-shape the loaf into your desired shape, place it seam side down on a piece of parchment paper. Cover and allow to rise for another 60-120 minutes.

Step 6

While the dough is finishing the final rise, place a cast iron dutch oven into the cold oven and preheat together at 450f.

Step 7

Once the oven is heated, score your loaf as desired. Lift with the parchment paper as handles and lower into the preheated dutch oven.

Step 8

Bake the pumpkin sourdough at 450f covered for 30 minutes.

Step 9

Remove the lid and continue to bake until the crust has darkened, another 15-20 minutes.

Step 10

Remove the sourdough from the dutch oven and cool on a wire mesh cooling rack until room temperature before slicing.