Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

This Roasted Pumpkin Sourdough Bread with Pasta Madre is one of my favorite breads to make during pumpkin season. It has a beautiful golden-orange crumb, a thin crust covered with crunchy pumpkin seeds, and a subtle sweetness from real roasted pumpkin.

What I especially love about this loaf is that the pumpkin isn’t overpowering. It still tastes like proper sourdough bread, but the roasted pumpkin brings extra moisture, color, softness, and a gentle earthy sweetness to the crumb.

For this version, I’m using a generous amount of pasta madre, or stiff sourdough starter—50% based on the flour weight. Because there is so much active starter in the dough, fermentation moves considerably faster than in many traditional sourdough recipes. At 26°C/79°F, my warm bulk fermentation takes approximately 4 hours.

One of the main reasons I chose pasta madre for this roasted pumpkin sourdough is the flavor profile it produces. Because pasta madre is maintained at a much lower hydration than a typical liquid sourdough starter and is refreshed frequently, it can produce a milder, less sharply sour flavor when it is healthy and properly maintained. Its fermentation favors a different balance of organic acids, and the frequent refreshments help prevent excessive acid accumulation. That was exactly what I wanted for this bread: the complexity and aroma of natural fermentation without a pronounced sour taste, allowing the delicate sweetness of the roasted pumpkin to remain noticeable in the finished loaf.

I also wanted to keep the process relatively simple. There is no autolyse, and I perform only one stretch-and-fold during the entire bulk fermentation.

The most important part of this recipe is managing the water correctly. I start with 210 g water, develop the gluten, and then gradually add another 60 g water during mixing. My pasta madre is quite stiff, and the strong bread flour I use can absorb a lot of water. Pumpkin also varies greatly in moisture, so I recommend treating that final 60 g as bassinage rather than automatically adding it all at once.

If your flour tells you it has had enough, listen to your dough.

Why You’ll Love This Roasted Pumpkin Sourdough

Pumpkin sourdough isn’t just beautiful to look at. Adding roasted pumpkin changes both the flavor and texture of the bread.

The pumpkin gives the crumb a beautiful warm color without any artificial coloring. It also contributes moisture and natural sugars, which help create a soft, tender crumb and encourage beautiful caramelization during baking.

Instead of using canned pumpkin purée, I prefer to roast fresh pumpkin.

Roasting concentrates the flavor while evaporating some of the pumpkin’s water. This is important in bread making because pumpkin can contain a surprising amount of moisture.

The drier and more concentrated the pumpkin becomes during roasting, the easier it is to control the final consistency of your dough.

Combined with pasta madre, the flavor stays beautifully balanced: mildly sweet, wheaty, nutty, and fermented without the pumpkin overwhelming the character of the bread.

What Is Pasta Madre?

Pasta madre is a stiff sourdough starter traditionally used in Italian baking.

Unlike a typical liquid sourdough starter that may be maintained at 100% hydration, pasta madre contains considerably less water. Because it is stiff, it behaves differently from a liquid starter during both mixing and fermentation.

In this recipe, I’m using a large amount of pasta madre: 175 g for 350 g flour, or 50% based on the flour weight.

This is one of the reasons this loaf doesn’t require an extremely long warm fermentation. If your pasta madre is healthy and active, you’re introducing a substantial amount of active fermented dough into the final dough from the beginning.

For me, this means approximately 4 hours of warm bulk fermentation at 26°C/79°F.

Your timing may be slightly different. Pasta madre strength, final dough temperature, flour, pumpkin moisture, and fermentation temperature can all affect the speed of fermentation.

Always let the dough tell you when it’s ready.

Why I Roast the Pumpkin

Technically, you can put pumpkin purée directly into bread dough, but roasting fresh pumpkin gives me much better results.

Pumpkin naturally contains a lot of water. If you boil or steam it, you may introduce even more moisture.

Roasting does the opposite.

As the pumpkin cooks in the oven, some of its water evaporates and the flavor becomes more concentrated. The pumpkin becomes sweeter and richer, and that flavor carries into the finished loaf.

It also gives you better control over your dough hydration.

Not every pumpkin will behave exactly the same. Some varieties are naturally watery, while others are dense and almost starchy.

This is one reason I don’t recommend blindly adding every gram of water listed in this recipe. The final amount of water should always be adjusted according to your flour and roasted pumpkin.

Roasted Pumpkin Sourdough Ingredients

For the Dough

• 350 g strong bread flour, — 100%
• 175 g active pasta madre/stiff sourdough starter — 50%
• 87.5 g roasted pumpkin — 25%
• 210 g water — for the initial mix
• 35g brown sugar
• 25g butter
• Up to 60 g additional water — added gradually during mixing
• 7 g baking salt — 2%

Total added water if using the full amount: 270 gr

Note about the water.This is probably the most important part of the recipe.

I used 270 g total added water, but I did not add all of it at the beginning.

I started the dough with 210 g water.

Once the dough had developed gluten and become strong enough to accept additional water, I slowly incorporated another 60 g through bassinage.

My pasta madre was quite stiff, and the strong bread flour I used was able to absorb all of the additional water.

That doesn’t necessarily mean yours will.

The roasted pumpkin also contains water, and because pumpkins vary so much in moisture, it’s difficult to calculate exactly how much water the pumpkin contributes to the dough.

A very moist pumpkin combined with a less absorbent flour could give you a much looser dough than mine.

Don’t chase a hydration number. Watch your dough instead.

The goal is a dough that is well hydrated but still has strength, elasticity, and enough structure to hold its shape.

How to Make Roasted Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

Roasting the Pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F.

You can roast the pumpkin whole or cut it into pieces first. A whole pumpkin can take approximately 2 hours, depending on its size. Cutting it into pieces will significantly shorten the roasting time.

Roast until the pumpkin is completely tender.

Let it cool completely, then scoop out the flesh and weigh 87.5 g for the recipe.

If you’re using a mixer and your kitchen is warm, you can refrigerate the roasted pumpkin before mixing. This can help prevent the final dough temperature from becoming too high during mechanical mixing.

I don’t recommend adding warm pumpkin directly to the dough. It can raise the dough temperature considerably and make fermentation move much faster than expected.

Mixing the Dough

There is no autolyse in this recipe.

Add the 350 g bread flour, 175 g pasta madre, 87.5 g roasted pumpkin, and 210 g water directly to the mixer.

Begin mixing on low speed until everything comes together.

Because pasta madre is stiff, give it enough time to distribute evenly throughout the dough.

Once everything is incorporated, continue mixing until you begin developing good gluten strength.

The dough should gradually become smoother, stronger, and more elastic. You should see it gaining strength around the dough hook and beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Don’t rush to add the remaining water.

You want to establish a strong gluten network first. This makes it much easier for the dough to absorb the additional water without losing its structure.

Adding the Remaining Water

Once the dough has developed good gluten strength, begin adding the additional 60 g water gradually.

Add only a small amount at a time.

Allow the dough to absorb each addition completely before adding more.

The dough may temporarily loosen when you add the water. Continue mixing and give it time to come back together and regain its strength before adding the next portion.

Add the 7 g salt during this stage and continue mixing until completely incorporated.

I was able to add the full 60 g of additional water to my dough.

However, if your dough begins losing strength or becoming excessively loose, stop adding water. There is no benefit in forcing additional water into the dough simply to reach a specific hydration number.

The finished dough should be smooth, elastic, hydrated, and strong.

What Is Bassinage?

Bassinage is simply the technique of holding back some of the water from a bread formula and gradually adding it later during mixing.

It’s particularly useful when working with highly hydrated dough.

Instead of asking the flour to absorb all of the water immediately, you first develop the gluten using a lower hydration dough. Once that gluten network becomes strong, you gradually introduce the remaining water.

For this roasted pumpkin sourdough, bassinage is especially useful because we’re working with two variables: stiff pasta madre and roasted pumpkin.

The stiff starter requires additional hydration, while the pumpkin contributes moisture of its own.

Adding the final water gradually gives you much more control over the final dough consistency.

Warm Bulk Fermentation

Transfer the dough to a clean, preferably straight-sided container and cover.

Ferment at 26°C/79°F for approximately 4 hours.

Because this recipe contains 50% active pasta madre, fermentation moves considerably faster than it would in a typical sourdough recipe with a smaller amount of starter.

During the entire warm bulk fermentation, perform only one stretch-and-fold.

Gently stretch and fold the dough to reinforce its structure, then leave it undisturbed for the remainder of the fermentation.

There is no need to perform repeated folds every 30 minutes if you’ve already developed the gluten properly during mixing.

How to Know When Bulk Fermentation Is Finished

Don’t rely only on the four-hour timeline.

Four hours is what my dough needed at 26°C/79°F, but sourdough fermentation is never exactly the same in every kitchen.

The strength and maturity of your pasta madre can make a significant difference. Final dough temperature, flour choice, pumpkin moisture, and fermentation temperature can also change the timing.

By the end of bulk fermentation, the dough should look noticeably more aerated and alive. You may see bubbles along the sides of the container and underneath the surface.

The dough should have increased significantly in volume and should feel lighter than it did immediately after mixing.

If your dough reaches this stage earlier than four hours, move on to shaping.

If it still looks dense and underfermented after four hours, give it more time.

Watch the dough, not just the clock.

Shaping

Once bulk fermentation is complete, gently turn the dough onto your work surface.

Shape it into a boule or batard, depending on your preferred banneton.

Create enough surface tension to give the loaf good structure, but avoid aggressively degassing the dough.

You’ve spent the last several hours developing fermentation gases inside the dough, so preserve as much of that structure as possible during shaping.

Cold Fermentation

Cold-proof the dough for approximately 18 hours at 4°C/39°F.

The actual temperature of your refrigerator is important. If your refrigerator is significantly warmer than 4°C/39°F, the dough will continue fermenting more quickly.

Because this recipe contains a generous amount of active pasta madre, keeping the refrigerator cold gives you much better control over the long fermentation.

Baking

Preheat the oven with a baking steel inside to 500°F/260°C.

The baking steel needs to be thoroughly preheated before you bake the bread so it can provide strong heat from underneath and help create good oven spring.

Remove the loaf directly from the refrigerator, turn it out of the banneton, and score it while still cold.

Carefully slide the loaf onto the hot baking steel.

Immediately cover the bread with a cold baking shell. Unlike a heavy Dutch oven, the baking shell does not need to be preheated. It is lightweight and easy to handle, while still creating the enclosed environment needed to trap steam released from the dough during the beginning of the bake.

Bake the loaf covered at 500°F/260°C for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 450°F/232°C and carefully remove the baking shell to release the steam.

Continue baking the loaf uncovered for approximately 20 minutes, or until the crust is deeply golden and the bread is completely baked through.

Because roasted pumpkin contains natural sugars, the crust can develop color relatively quickly. Keep an eye on the loaf during the final part of the bake and adjust the baking time slightly if necessary.

Transfer the finished loaf to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing.

What Does Roasted Pumpkin Do to Sourdough?

Pumpkin does much more than simply give sourdough bread a beautiful orange color.

It contributes water, fiber, starch, and natural sugars to the dough. All of these affect both the texture of the raw dough and the finished bread.

The natural sugars encourage caramelization during baking, while the pumpkin helps create a moist and tender crumb.

At the same time, adding pumpkin can make gluten development a little more challenging.

This is why I prefer to develop good gluten strength during mixing before gradually introducing the additional water through bassinage.

Can I Make This Pumpkin Sourdough Without a Mixer?

If you’re making this recipe with stiff pasta madre, I don’t recommend making it without a mixer. Pasta madre is quite firm and can be difficult to incorporate evenly into this high-hydration dough by hand.

A mixer helps break down and distribute the stiff pasta madre evenly while developing a strong gluten structure before the additional water is added.

If you plan to make this bread with a liquid sourdough starter instead of pasta madre, then yes, you can mix and develop the dough by hand. Keep in mind that a liquid starter contains more water, so the amount of water in the recipe will need to be adjusted accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use a Regular Sourdough Starter Instead of Pasta Madre?

Yes, absolutely. You can make this roasted pumpkin sourdough with a regular liquid sourdough starter instead of pasta madre.

Because a liquid starter contains more water than stiff pasta madre, you’ll need to adjust the amount of water in the dough accordingly. Most likely, you won’t need the additional 60 g of water that I add during mixing when using pasta madre.

Start with the initial 210 g water and watch the consistency of your dough. If it feels strong enough to handle more water, you can always add a little gradually during mixing. As always, let your flour and the dough itself tell you how much water it needs.

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Why are you using 50% pasta madre?

Using a generous amount of pasta madre gives the dough a large amount of fermentation activity from the beginning.

This allows me to achieve a relatively short warm bulk fermentation while still making a naturally leavened bread.

At 26°C/79°F, my bulk fermentation takes approximately 4 hours.

Is 50% pasta madre too much?

No, but it does mean you need to manage fermentation differently.

A higher inoculation generally results in faster fermentation. You can’t follow the same fermentation schedule you would use for a sourdough loaf containing a much smaller amount of starter.

Watch your dough carefully.

Why don’t you autolyse this dough?

I don’t find an autolyse necessary for this recipe.

I combine the flour, pasta madre, roasted pumpkin, and initial water from the beginning and develop the gluten during mixing.

Once I have sufficient gluten development, I gradually introduce the remaining water through bassinage.

Why do you add 60 g of water later?

Adding the final water later gives me much better control over gluten development.

My pasta madre is stiff, and my bread flour can absorb a significant amount of water.

Instead of beginning with all 270 g of water, I start with 210 g, develop the dough, and then gradually add up to another 60 g.

Do I have to use all 60 g of additional water?

No.

This is very important.

Your flour may absorb less water than mine, and your roasted pumpkin may contain considerably more moisture.

Treat the 60 g as up to 60 g, rather than an amount you absolutely have to add.

If the dough has reached its limit, stop.

Can I use canned pumpkin purée?

You can experiment with canned pumpkin, but it won’t necessarily behave exactly like freshly roasted pumpkin.

Canned pumpkin can have a different moisture content and consistency.

If you substitute canned pumpkin, be especially conservative with the water during mixing. Start with less and add additional water only after you’ve evaluated the consistency and strength of your dough.

Can I boil or steam the pumpkin instead?

I prefer roasting.

Boiling and steaming can introduce additional water into the pumpkin, while roasting allows moisture to evaporate.

Roasting also concentrates the pumpkin’s natural sweetness and flavor, which gives the finished sourdough much more character.

Can I Use Canned Pumpkin Purée?

Yes, absolutely. You can use canned pumpkin purée instead of freshly roasted pumpkin.

Just keep in mind that canned pumpkin can have a different moisture content than freshly roasted pumpkin. Because of this, you may need to adjust the amount of water slightly during mixing. Start with the initial amount of water and add the remaining water gradually, only if your dough can handle it.

What kind of flour should I use?

I recommend a strong bread flour with approximately 13% protein.

The dough needs enough gluten strength to support both the roasted pumpkin and the additional water.

Different bread flours absorb different amounts of water, so even if your flour has a similar protein percentage, don’t assume it will behave exactly like mine.

Why does my dough feel wetter than yours?

The two biggest variables are probably your flour and your pumpkin.

Different flours have very different absorption capacities. Pumpkin moisture also varies depending on the variety, ripeness, roasting time, and how it was prepared.

If your dough feels too wet, don’t automatically add flour.

Instead, next time hold back more of the water and add it gradually during mixing.

Why did my dough ferment in less than four hours?

Your pasta madre may be more active, your dough may be warmer, or your fermentation environment may be warmer.

Four hours is my approximate timing at 26°C/79°F.

If your dough is clearly ready sooner, don’t wait for the clock simply because the recipe says four hours.

Why is my bulk fermentation taking longer than four hours?

Check the strength of your pasta madre and the temperature of your dough.

A cooler dough will ferment more slowly. A pasta madre that wasn’t sufficiently active when added to the dough can also extend fermentation.

If the dough doesn’t show enough fermentation after four hours, give it more time.

Why only one stretch-and-fold?

The dough already receives substantial gluten development during mixing.

If the dough has good strength after mixing, I don’t see a reason to perform folds simply because a traditional schedule tells you to fold every 30 minutes.

For this roasted pumpkin sourdough, I performed only one stretch-and-fold during the entire warm bulk fermentation.

Can I cold-proof the bread for longer than 18 hours?

Possibly, but your refrigerator temperature becomes very important.

At around 3–4°C/37–39°F, fermentation slows considerably.

If your refrigerator is warmer, extending the cold fermentation can eventually lead to an overproofed loaf, especially because this dough contains a generous amount of pasta madre.

Why is my crust getting dark so quickly?

Pumpkin contains natural sugars, which encourage caramelization during baking.

That’s one of the reasons I lower the oven temperature from 230°C/446°F to 200°C/392°F after the initial 20 minutes.

If your loaf is still becoming too dark, reduce the temperature slightly toward the end of baking.

How do I know when the bread is completely baked?

The crust should be deeply golden and feel firm.

Remember that this bread contains roasted pumpkin and therefore more moisture than a basic sourdough loaf.

Don’t remove it from the oven too early simply because the outside already looks beautifully browned.

Give the interior enough time to bake and set.

Why should I wait before slicing?

The crumb continues setting as the bread cools.

This is particularly important for moist breads containing ingredients such as pumpkin.

Cutting the loaf while it’s still very hot can compress the crumb and make it appear gummy even when the bread was properly baked.

Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing.

How should I store roasted pumpkin sourdough?

Once the bread has cooled completely, store it at room temperature in your preferred bread bag or container.

For longer storage, I recommend freezing it.

Slice the cooled loaf and place the slices in a freezer-safe bag. Individual slices can then be reheated directly from frozen in a toaster.

Can I freeze the whole loaf?

Yes, but I personally prefer freezing the bread sliced.

This allows you to remove only as much bread as you need.

For the best texture, freeze the bread while it’s still fresh rather than waiting several days before freezing it.

Tips for the Best Roasted Pumpkin Sourdough

Use an active and strong pasta madre. Because we’re using 50% pasta madre in this recipe, its condition has a significant effect on fermentation.

Roast your pumpkin instead of boiling it. You’ll get more concentrated pumpkin flavor and much better control over moisture.

Allow the roasted pumpkin to cool completely before mixing. Warm pumpkin can raise your final dough temperature and speed up fermentation.

Don’t add all the water at once. Begin with 210 g and gradually introduce up to another 60 g only after developing the gluten.

Develop good gluten strength before bassinage. Your dough should already have structure before you begin pushing the hydration higher.

Don’t chase a hydration number. Your pumpkin contributes additional water, and its exact moisture content will vary.

Watch the dough during fermentation. Approximately four hours at 26°C/79°F is my reference point, not an absolute rule.

You don’t need endless folds. I perform only one stretch-and-fold during the entire warm bulk fermentation.

Keep your refrigerator cold. Around 3–4°C/37–39°F gives you much better control during an 18-hour cold proof.

Watch the crust during baking. The natural sugars in pumpkin encourage faster browning.

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