This Sourdough Pumpkin Bread features all of the favorite flavors of Fall! Filled with pumpkin spice intensity, it is the best way to use up that extra sourdough discard! Freezes well, and is perfect for gifting to family and friends all Autumn long!
Fall is finally here, and I couldn't be any more excited! This is my absolute favorite time of year, and if you're here reading all about this delicious Sourdough Pumpkin Bread, I'm guessing that you feel the same way.
Fall is the season for baking up goodies. After a long, hot summer most of us are ready to sniff the delicious smells of pumpkin, apple, caramel, and ginger. Ah, yes! Fall is here, and I'm ready to get my bake on. How about you?
So why not get started with this drool worthy recipe for Sourdough Pumpkin Bread? Not only does it use all of our favorite fall flavors, but it also uses up a full cup of sourdough discard. If you've been baking with sourdough for any amount of time, you know that's kind of a big deal. If you don't like to let anything go to waste, you're going to want to take advantage of allll the sourdough discard recipes.
This recipe makes 2 loaves, which means it's perfect for gifting to friends and family. It also freezes excellently, making it perfect for stashing away in the freezer for later!
Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree: You will need 1 15oz can of pumpkin puree. If you buy the larger cans, that works out to a little less than 2 cups of pumpkin puree. Be sure to not accidently purchase pumpkin pie filling, as that is sweetened and spiced and won't work for this recipe.
- Oil: You can use any neutral flavored oil in this recipe. Avocado oil, canola, sunflower, vegetable, or refined coconut oil all work well. You can use melted butter, lard, or shortening in a pinch but it will result in a much denser bread.
- Sourdough discard: You will need one cup of sourdough discard to make this recipe. If you don't have a sourdough starter, you can learn how to get one started here, OR you can make the substitutions I recommend in the "Substitutions" section.
- Baking staples: You will need a good stock of your baking basics that you should always have on hand. Flour, eggs, sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and brown sugar are all used in this recipe for Sourdough Pumpkin Bread.
- Spices: To get the perfect pumpkin spice flavor we use cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and just a pinch of black pepper! That's my secret weapon for all things pumpkin. Black pepper adds just a touch of spiciness. Try it, you'll love it!
- Pepitas: This is an optional ingredient, but I highly recommend it! Pumpkin bread just looks so beautiful when it is adorned with a layer of pepitas! Pepitas are a special kind of pumpkin seed that is grown inside of a particular kind of pumpkin. They are perfect for baking, since they do not get overly hard during time in the oven. This is often what you will see on top of muffins at Starbucks and bakeries.
Instructions
Get started by preheating the oven to 350F and preparing two 9X5 glass loaf pans with cooking spray or a light coating of oil.
Add the dry ingredients to a medium sized bowl. Whisk well to combine.
Add the wet ingredients to a large bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients together thoroughly until lump free and smooth.
Once the wet ingredients are thoroughly mixed, add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture.
Slowly mix or fold it in with a rubber spatula or Danish dough whisk.
Continue to fold in the flour until all of the flour is moistened. Be careful not to overmix, since that will result in a tough loaf.
Divide the batter into the two prepared loaf pans. Spread them out evenly with a rubber spatula.
Sprinkle the tops with the pepitas, if using.
Bake in the preheated oven for 75-85 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Substitutions
Without sourdough discard: If you don't have an established sourdough starter, you can substitute the sourdough discard in this recipe by making the following adjustments. Increase the flour by ¾ cup (for a total of 3 ½ cups) and add ½ cup of buttermilk in with the wet ingredients.
Pumpkin: If you don't like pumpkin or have an allergy, you can substitute other pureed vegetables. Butternut squash acorn squash, and sweet potato can all be used, just be sure they are thick, rather than thin. The loaf won't hold together unless the puree is as thick as pumpkin.
Variations
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Loaf: Cut an 8oz block of cream cheese into 1" cubes. Fold the cream cheese cubes into the batter gently, and distribute evenly between the two pans. Cover with the pepitas and bake.
Pumpkin Pecan Loaf: Fold in 1 cup of coarsely chopped pecans to the batter.
FAQ
This recipe was developed for sourdough discard, but it's totally fine to use active sourdough if that's what you have on hand!
Yes! Just use an additional ¾ cups flour (3 ½ cups total) and add ½ cup of buttermilk to the liquid portion of the recipe.
Yes! Pumpkin bread freezes really well. Just make sure it is completely cooled before you wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months.
More Sourdough Quick Breads and Muffins
- Sourdough Zucchini Bread
- Sourdough Beer Bread
- Apple Walnut Sourdough Muffins (with Honey)
- Sourdough Applesauce Muffins
- Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Sourdough Buttermilk Cornbread
Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
The perfect fall treat for baking, gifting, and enjoying with friends and family! Delightfully pumpkin-y and deliciously spiced with all the flavors of fall. This Sourdough Pumpkin Loaf is the perfect way to use up all that extra sourdough discard!
Ingredients
- 1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup oil (avocado or vegetable oil)
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour, unbleached
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch ground black pepper
- ¾ cup pepitas (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare two glass loaf pans (9"x5") by lightly coating them in cooking spray or oil.
- Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, sourdough discard, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla to a large bowl.
- Mix well with a hand mixer, or by hand with a whisk. Mix until well combined, smooth, and lump free.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and pinch of black pepper. Whisk well to combine.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the mixed wet ingredients and fold them in with a rubber spatula gently. You want to mix until the mixture is well combined and the flour is moistened, but you do not want to overmix the batter.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. Spread the batter into the pans evenly.
- Top with the pepitas (if using) and bake in the preheated oven for 75-85 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of each loaf.
- Cool the loafs in their pan for 1 hour before running a knife around the edge and turning the loaves out. Place the loaves, top up, on a cooling rack. Cool until room temperature. Then, place in the fridge until ready to serve OR prepare for the freezer.
Notes
Smaller Loaf Pans:
If you have a smaller loaf pan, you may need to bake this for less time. A typical size would be 7x4 and may only require 45-50 minutes baking time. If you are using a different pan than what is called for in the recipe, you will need to check your loaves for doneness to ensure they do not overbake.
Oils:
You can use any neutral tasting oil in this recipe. Vegetable oil is what is called for here, but you can use sunflower, canola, avocado, or refined coconut oil. You could also use melted butter or lard, but that will result in a heavier and more dense loaf.
Don't Have Sourdough Starter?
If you want to make this recipe, but you don't have sourdough discard to use, you can make the following substitutions.
Increase the flour by ¾ cup (3 ½ cups total) and add ½ cup of buttermilk to the wet ingredients.
Freezing:
For the best results, let the loaf cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container in the fridge and let chill completely.
Wrap the loaf tightly in several layers of plastic wrap, and place that inside of a gallon size freezer bag. Remove excess air, label, and seal. Thaw and serve within 2 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1/12 of loafAmount Per Serving: Calories: 238Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 210mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is an estimate only.
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Resources:
- Making an Incredible Sourdough Starter - The Perfect Loaf
- How to Make Real Cultured Buttermilk
Angie says
This recipe is the best! I pressed salted pepitas into the top of the loaves prior to baking... everyone loved the contrast of the salty pepitas and the sweet bread! Also, I HIGHLY recommend trying fresh grated nutmeg instead of the jarred stuff. The flavor difference is incredible! Black pepper is such a great touch; even my picky daughter loved it! Win!
Dolly | Little Home in the Making says
Fresh grated nutmeg is just extra special! So glad you loved the recipe Angie.
Marie says
Have you tried this reducing the white sugar to 3/4 cup? Seems like too much sugar
Dolly | Little Home in the Making says
You could definitely give it a try if you like! It does make 2 loaves, so it sounds like more than it is.