Pumpkin Sourdough Babka

ByNatalya Syanova
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Fall is in the air… And it means, pumpkin season has officially begun. Treat yourself and your family with this incredible pumpkin sourdough babka. Soft, sweet and a little bit spicy made with stiff sourdough starter.

The combination of warm spices, rich pumpkin flavor, and soft buttery dough makes this babka the perfect cozy fall bake. Every slice is beautifully swirled with sweet pumpkin filling and has a tender, pull-apart texture that feels incredibly comforting fresh from the oven. The stiff sourdough starter adds wonderful depth of flavor while helping create a light, delicate crumb. This babka pairs perfectly with coffee, tea, or a glass of warm milk and makes a beautiful addition to fall breakfasts, brunches, or holiday gatherings. The aroma of cinnamon, pumpkin, and freshly baked bread filling the kitchen instantly creates that comforting autumn feeling everyone loves during pumpkin season.

Ingredients

Stiff Sourdough Starter 

Dough

  • 325g bread flour (100%)
  • 150g pumpkin purée (46%)
  • 100g milk (31%)
  • 1 large egg
  • 65g sugar (20%)
  • 32g soft butter (10%)
  • 65g stiff starter (20%)
  • 6g salt (2%)
  • 0.5 g dry yeast (optional, to reduce sourness)

Filling 

Icing

Directions 

Day 1

Starter 

  • 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, form a ball, then roll it into tight roll, place in jar, make sure it is covered with water, let sit at room temp 74-78F until it increases in size and starts to float on the top of the water.
  • In about 8-10 hours the top of the starter will dry and the bottom will start to melt in water. We will need the center part of it.
  • Keeping stiff starter in the water will help to reduce its acidity and sourness of final product (learn how to make starter from scratch here).

Day 2

Dough

  • 8 am mix milk with sugar, add pumpkin purée, add yeast (if using ) stiff sourdough starter and an egg, whisk all together, add flour and let autolyse for 1 hour.
  • During the autolyse period the flour becomes fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
  • 9 am mix dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
  • Add salt mix for a couple more minutes. The dough should form a ball.
  • Add soft butter, mix for 10 more minutes until the dough is well incorporated and comes up together.
  • Cover and let it proof for 3-5 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
  • During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
  • The dough should become slightly puffy.
  • Prepare filling by mixing all ingredients together 
  • Sprinkle work surface with flour, dump the dough. Roll it into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread the filling (there’s no need to leave borders).
  • Starting with a long side, the dough roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a tray covered with parchment paper. Stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes, it will make cutting easier.
  • Slice the dough in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you are braiding them. Place it into a prepared baking/loaf pan covered with parchment paper, letting it curl around itself if it’s a little too long for the pan.
  • Cover the pan.
  • Let it proof for 3-4 hours until babka will double in volume.
  • Preheat oven 375F
  • Bake pumpkin babka for 35 min until golden brown.
  • Let it cool down before icing.
  • Prepare icing by mixing all ingredients together.
  • Sprinkle icing all over the babka.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Sourdough Babka

Pumpkin Sourdough Babka

3001kcal
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Prep 35 minutes
Cook 35 minutes
Rise & Rest Time 16 hours 40 minutes
Total 17 hours 50 minutes
Celebrate the flavors of fall with this absolutely incredible, soft, and sweet Pumpkin Sourdough Babka. Made with a sweet, stiff sourdough starter and rich pumpkin purée, it features a striking, twisted swirl of warming pumpkin pie spices and is finished with a sweet, glossy glaze.
Servings 1 Large Loaf
Cuisine Eastern European, Jewish

Ingredients

The Stiff Sourdough Starter (Night Before)
  • 10 g Sourdough starter culture
  • 30 g Water
  • 60 g Bread flour
  • A small jar filled with extra water Reserved strictly for soaking the starter ball
The Enriched Pumpkin Dough
  • 325 g Bread flour (100%)
  • 150 g Pumpkin purée (46% – 100% pure canned pumpkin, not pie filling)
  • 100 g Milk (31%)
  • 1 Large egg
  • 65 g Sugar (20%)
  • 32 g Unsalted butter (10% – Softened completely to room temperature)
  • 65 g Prepared mature stiff sourdough starter (20%)
  • 6 g Salt (2%)
  • 0.5 g Dry instant yeast (Optional helper pinch to balance out and reduce any natural sour notes)
The Warming Pumpkin Spice Filling
  • 100 g Brown sugar
  • 3 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Pumpkin spice
  • 1 tbsp All-purpose flour
  • 60 g Unsalted butter (Softened completely to room temperature)
The Sweet Holiday Icing
  • 1/2 cup Powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp Milk
  • 1/4 tsp Pumpkin spice

Equipment

Method

Day 1 – The Floating Stiff Starter Hack
  1. 10:00 PM: In a small glass jar, mix your 10g of starter culture into 30g of water. Add 60g of bread flour and knead with your hands into a firm, tight ball. Roll it into a tight cylinder and drop it directly into a small jar filled with fresh room-temperature water.
  2. Let it sit on your counter at 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 8 to 10 hours. The starter cylinder will absorb moisture, puff up, and float proudly to the top of the water.
Day 2 – Autolyse, Enrichment Mixing, and Braid Twisting
  1. 8:00 AM – The Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, whisk the 100g of milk, 65g of sugar, 150g of pumpkin purée, 1 large egg, and the optional 0.5g of dry yeast together until smooth. Fish out your floating starter ball, extract exactly 65g of its soft interior core, and break it into pieces into the bowl. Dump all 325g of bread flour on top, mix until a shaggy mass forms with no dry streaks, cover, and let autolyse for 1 hour.
  2. 9:00 AM: Attach your dough hook attachment. Mix the dough on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or on speed 3 for a KitchenAid mixer) until it becomes cohesive. Add the 6g of salt and knead for 2 more minutes until a firm ball forms.
  3. Add the 32g of soft butter. Turn your machine up to medium-high speed and knead continuously for 10 minutes until the fat incorporates seamlessly and the dough clears the sides of the bowl beautifully.
  4. Cover the bowl and let bulk ferment for 3 to 5 hours at a warm 76–80°F (24–28°C). Perform 2 separate rounds of structural stretch-and-folds during this window until the dough looks light and slightly puffy.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a small bowl, mix the 100g of brown sugar, 3 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice, 1 tablespoon of flour, and 60g of soft butter together until a smooth paste forms.
  6. Dust your counter with flour and turn the dough out. Use a rolling pin to flatten it into a neat 9×17 inch rectangle. Spread your prepared pumpkin spice filling evenly across the entire surface all the way to the edges.
  7. Starting from the long side, roll the sheet up tightly into a dense, long log. Place the log on a tray lined with parchment paper and slide it into the freezer for exactly 10 minutes to firm up the fats for clean slicing.
  8. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper. Take the chilled log and use a sharp knife to slice it completely in half lengthwise, exposing all the beautiful interior spice layers.
  9. Twist the two halves together tightly into a classic, woven braid. Transfer the braid into your pan, gently curling the ends under if it runs a bit too long. Cover loosely and let it proof for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature until the babka fully doubles in size.
  10. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Slide the pan onto the middle rack and bake for 35 minutes until the woven crown turns a rich, uniform golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
  11. Whisk the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, and 1/4 teaspoon of pumpkin spice together in a small cup until smooth. Drizzle the glaze generously across the cooled babka before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories3001kcalCarbohydrates549gProtein65gFat90gSaturated Fat52gPolyunsaturated Fat7gMonounsaturated Fat22gTrans Fat3gCholesterol384mgSodium587mgPotassium1226mgFiber18gSugar174gVitamin A26108IUVitamin C7mgCalcium458mgIron9mg

Notes

  • The Science Behind Submerging Your Starter: Submerging your low-hydration stiff starter directly in a jar of water overnight is a traditional technique used to create a beautifully mild sweet bread. The surrounding water continuously washes away excess organic acids as the wild yeast ferments. This process safely neutralizes any sharp, tangy sour profiles, ensuring your Pumpkin Sourdough Babka keeps a sweet and aromatic bakery finish.
  • Why the 10-Minute Freezer Chill is Non-Negotiable: Spreading a heavy butter-and-sugar filling onto a soft, enriched dough can quickly make the log slick and frustrating to slice cleanly at room temperature. Slicing it warm will cause the layers to squish together and leak everywhere. The quick 10-minute freezer rest chills the butter filling just enough to solidify it, allowing your knife to slice through the roll smoothly to create stunning, distinct layers.
  • Why Flour belongs in the Sugar Filling: You might wonder why a tiny 1 tablespoon scoop of all-purpose flour is included in the sweet filling mixture during step 7. Sugar melts into a runny liquid when exposed to high heat in the oven, which can cause it to leak out of the braid and burn at the bottom of your loaf pan. The starch in the flour acts as a natural thickener, trapping the bubbling pumpkin spices perfectly between the layers of bread.
  • Shifting to a Morning Proof Schedule: If you want a freshly baked babka first thing in the morning for holiday breakfasts, you can easily alter the final proof timeline. After weaving the braid into your loaf pan in step 11, cover the pan tightly and transfer it straight into your refrigerator to cold-retard overnight. The next morning, simply set the pan on your counter at a comfortable room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to finish doubling before baking.

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30 Comments

    2. Hello! This looks great, can’t wait to try. Do you think I can use “00” flour for this (no sourdough, instant yeas version) ?.

      Thank you!

      Reply

  2. I made this, but cut the larger roll in half through the rolled middle as well as through the length middle in order to have two smaller loaves. It doesn’t look as large and spectacular, but the taste is wonderful!! Thank you so much for sharing! I already need to make more. I suspect I will need to have two jars with the stiff starter going this time. Thank you, thank you!!

    Reply

  3. Hi Natasha, I m located in Hong Kong, do you run zoom class?? Looking forward to your cookbook in November. I love your sourdough with big holes. Can I order your cookbook at Amazon?
    Thanks
    Amy

    Reply

    1. Amy, thank you so much for your support!
      My book is available for preorders through Amazon, and Apple Books.

      Reply

  4. Hello Natalya. Can this recipe handle a cold retard after placed in the baking tin so we can have it for breakfast the next day?
    What size loaf pan do you use?
    Thanks so much

    Reply

    1. Hi!
      Absolutely!
      Proof it, move yo fridge until before going to bed, take it from fridge, shape it, let proof at 18-21C until next morning, it should double or more by the morning.
      Then bake it. I’m using 9×4 mold.
      Thank you 🙏

      Reply

  5. Hello! I made this yesterday and it was amazing! I was a bit nervous, as I’ve only made your 1-2-3 sourdough loaf and your pumpkin scones, and this looked a bit more challenging. Your directions are easy to follow, and the loaf had the best flavor and texture! Thank you so much for sharing!! God Bless!

    Reply

  6. I made this loaf but increased the overall size (using baker’s percentages–thank you for including them!) with less sugar, and I used whole buckwheat and semolina for a total of around 15% of the flour. It still rose perfectly (about tripled) and was soft, fragrant, and completely delicious. One of my favorite breads ever! I’m making it again but following the recipe more exactly and making mini loaves

    Thank you for this awesome recipe. Not at all sour, even though I didn’t use the optional yeast, and just delicious!

    Reply

  7. Hi I would like to make this but I am confused about the stiff starter- when it separates from the water do we use all of it or just some of it for the dough ?

    Reply

  8. Hi Natasha, thank you for the recipe. Just to clarify for the stiff starter, do I mix water, starter and flour, roll it into a coil. Put it in Jar. then add water to cover the coil? (I have made sweet stiff starter before but never tried one where I have to cover with water.)
    Thank you.

    Reply

  9. You replied to someone that to use yeast use 1% of the flour. How do you do that with the stiff starter.?
    Do you use 35g water, 65g flour and 0.65g instant yeast? Thanks

    Reply

  13. Hello, I just colked rhe loaf, it was a pity it couldnt grow as desired. I think the second fermentation was t enough. I didnt do the floating sourdough.. another difficult I found was the spreadong of filling; too harsh and the dough so fragile. Flavour is magic even without pumpking spice. Thank you

    Reply

  14. Hello, love all your recipes they are so good! Just making this one at the moment; you have said to add the starter before the autolyse, is this correct? Usually in your other recipes the starter is added after the autolyse… If it is meant to be before what is the reason for doing it this way round in this recipe? Thank you! Ed

    Reply

  15. À superbe and easy sourdough recipe 🙏
    I switched out the spice filling for 3 bands: pumpkin/butter/sugar , spices, chestnut paste; yum !

    Reply

  17. Natalya, I’ve been making this babka since you came out with it. I’m made a double batch but never 3. A customer asked for 3 loaves. The can pumpkin is 425g, the recipe calls for 450g if I triple it.
    What changes would I make to compensate for the 25g pumpkin puree shortage ?
    Thank You !
    Jeanette T

    Reply

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