Turmeric Sourdough with Pumpkin Seeds

Cold an gloomy weather makes me want to bring the bright colors back. This Turmeric Sourdough with Pumpkin Seeds loaf speaks for itself, yellow, delicious turmeric sourdough with a crunch of pumpkin seeds.

Ingredients

Sourdough starter 

• 5g sourdough starter
• 35g water
• 30g all purpose flour or bread flour
• 5g rye flour

Dough

• 270g bread flour (90%)
• 30g stone ground whole wheat flour (10%)
• 207g water (69%)
• 21g cold water added along with salt (7%), total hydration 76%
• 6g turmeric powder (2%)
• 30-40g pumpkin seeds
• 60g levain (20%)
• 6g salt (2%)

Directions 

Starter

• 7 am add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at a room temp 74-78F for about 8-10 hours until starter reaches its peak (at least triples in volume).
• Learn how to make starter from scratch here.

Dough

• 5 pm mix water with flour and turmeric powder, cover, let it rest 1 hour for autolyse.
• During the autolyse process flour absorbs water, becoming fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.

• 6 pm add sourdough starter. 
• Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 min until well incorporated.
• Cover, let it rest for 30 min.

• 6:30 pm add salt and extra water. 
• The process of adding extra water is called bassinage, it helps to tighten up gluten. Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or with KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5-6 min until well incorporated. The dough should come up together, but still be sticky on the bottom.

• Continue gluten development and structure building by performing stretches and folds during the warm fermentation period.
• Leave to rest 30 min. At 74-78F /23-26C.
• 7 pm spray your work surface with water, wet your hands to perform lamination.
• Lamination is the process of stretching the dough as thin as you can without ripping it.
• Spread the pumpkin seeds all over the dough, fold and it let rest for 45 minutes.

• 7:45 pm 1st stretch and fold.
• 8:30 pm 2nd stretch and fold.
• 9.15 pm 3rd stretch and fold.

Performing stretches and folds will help with gluten development. Keep monitoring the dough, if it rises too fast, you can shorten the time between stretches to 40 minutes or less.

After the final stretch let the dough proof for 30 minutes at 76-80F/ 23-26C. You should see some bubbles on the surface, the dough has to become lighter. We are looking for 40%-50% rise. 

Preshaping sourdough 

• 9:45 pm transfer the dough on to a work surface and dust its top with flour. Flip the dough over so the floured side faces down.
• Fold the dough onto itself so the flour on the surface remains entirely on the outside of the loaf. This will become the crust.
• Place the dough round on a work surface and let it rest for 30 minutes uncovered.

Shaping sourdough 

• 10.15 pm dust the dough with flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over on to a work surface so the floured sides face down.
• Starting with the side closest to you, pull the right 2 corners of the dough to the left, then fold them up into half of the dough. Repeat this action with the other side too.
• Finally, roll the dough. Shape it into a smooth, taut roll.
• Transfer the roll, seam side up, to a prepared proofing basket (loaf pan with kitchen towel).
• Cover it with plastic and return the dough to the 80F (27C) environment for 15 minutes.
• Then transfer the dough to rise for 14-24 hours in the refrigerator.

Baking

Next morning

• Preheat your oven to 500 F, place a cast iron pan with the lid inside for 45 minutes -1 hour.
• Remove the dough from the fridge. 

• Flip it over on a parchment paper, score it with a sharp knife or a scoring lame. 
• Transfer on to the hot cast iron pan, cover with the lid (to create steam for a beautiful and crusty crumb).
• Bake at 500F for 15 minutes with lid on.

• Remove the lid, lower temperature to 450F. 
• Bake for 20 more minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy your turmeric sourdough bread!

Turmeric Sourdough with Pumpkin Seeds

1519kcal

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Prep 45 minutes mins

Cook 35 minutes mins

Total 1 day d 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

This visually stunning artisan loaf features a vibrant, golden-yellow interior crumb courtesy of ground turmeric, beautifully contrasted by a rich, texturized crunch from toasted pumpkin seeds. This bread balances the warm, slightly earthy notes of turmeric with a classic sourdough tang, finished with an incredibly crisp crust.

Servings 1 loaf

Cuisine Modern Artisan

Ingredients

1x2x3x

Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)

• ▢ 5 g Sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 35 g Water
• ▢ 30 g All-purpose flour or bread flour
• ▢ 5 g Rye flour

The Main Dough Base

• ▢ 270 g Bread flour (90%)
• ▢ 30 g Stone-ground whole wheat flour (10%)
• ▢ 4 g Ground turmeric powder (approx. 1.5 tsp / 1.3%)
• ▢ 207 g Water (69% – Used for the core autolyse mix)
• ▢ 60 g Active sourdough starter levain (20% – From the stage above)
• ▢ 6 g Salt (2%)
• ▢ 30 g Cold water (10% – Held back as bassinage adjustment water)

The Crunchy Inclusions

• ▢ 50 g Pumpkin seeds (Pepitas, lightly toasted and cooled)
• ▢ Warm water (Reserved for soaking the seeds)

Equipment

• ▢
  Mixing Bowls (For levain building, autolyse, and bulk fermentation)
• ▢
  Proofing Basket (Banneton or a clean bowl lined with a dry kitchen towel)
• ▢
  Cast Iron Pan with Lid (Or a heavy Dutch oven to capture pressurized steam for a magnificent oven spring)
• ▢
  Sharp Scoring Lame (Or a fresh razor blade for clean, decorative expansion cuts)
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Night Before – Levain Optimization & Seed Soak

1. 10:00 PM – Starter Build: In a small glass jar, add your 5g of starter culture to 35g of water and whisk together cleanly. Stir in 30g of all-purpose or bread flour and 5g of rye flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (24–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until the starter reaches its peak and at least triples in volume.
2. Pumpkin Seed Prep: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the 50g of pumpkin seeds for 3 to 4 minutes until they become fragrant and begin to pop slightly. Transfer them immediately to a small bowl, cover with warm water, and let them soak overnight. (Soaking prevents the dry seeds from robbing moisture directly from your dough crumb later).

Day 2 – The Golden Autolyse, Bassinage, and Core Mixing

1. 8:00 AM – The Turmeric Autolyse: In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the 270g of bread flour, 30g of whole wheat flour, and 4g of ground turmeric powder until the flour turns a uniform pale yellow. Pour in 207g of water and mix with a spoon just until all dry patches entirely disappear. Cover tightly and let it autolyse on your counter for 1 full hour.
2. 9:00 AM – Sourdough Starter Integration: Add 60g of your active overnight starter peak directly into the golden autolysed dough. Knead by hand or mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the starter is completely incorporated. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. 9:30 AM – Bassinage & Salt Incorporation: Add your 6g of salt along with the remaining 30g of cold bassinage water into the bowl. Squeeze and knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes until the extra liquid is fully absorbed and a cohesive, smooth dough forms. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes at a stable warm temperature of 74–78°F (23–26°C).

Lamination Inclusions & Bulk Fermentation Folds

1. 10:00 AM – Seed Lamination: Drain your soaked pumpkin seeds thoroughly and pat them dry with a paper towel. Spray your clean work surface lightly with water and wet your hands. Gently tip the yellow dough out and stretch it out as thin as possible across the table without tearing the delicate matrix. Scatter the pumpkin seeds evenly over the entire surface. Fold the dough cleanly over onto itself into a neat package to trap the seeds, return it to your bulk container, and let rest for 45 minutes.
2. 10:45 AM – 1st Stretch & Fold: Wet your hands slightly. Lift one side of the dough up cleanly from the container edge and fold it directly over the center. Repeat this action for all four quadrants of the dough mass to build structured vertical strength and distribute the seeds. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
3. 11:30 AM – 2nd Stretch & Fold: Execute your second structured round of quadrant folds to continue organizing the expanding gluten network. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
4. 12:15 PM – 3rd Stretch & Fold: Execute the third and final stretch-and-fold round. Cover and let the dough proof completely untouched for 30 minutes at a warm 76–80°F (24–28°C). The dough should look visibly lighter, show distinct surface bubbles, and hit a clean 50% volume rise.

Preshaping, Tension Rolling, and Cold Retard

1. 12:45 PM – Preshaping: Gently tip the expanded dough out onto your work surface and dust the top lightly with flour. Flip the mass over so the floured side faces directly down. Fold the outer edges cleanly onto itself so that the raw flour coating remains entirely on the outside of the loaf. Round the dough into a loose ball and let it rest on your counter completely uncovered for 30 minutes to relax the gluten network.
2. 1:15 PM – Final Shaping: Dust the top of the resting dough round with flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over onto your counter so the floured side faces down. Starting at the edge closest to you, pull the two right corners of the dough outward and fold them up into the center. Repeat this exact matching movement across the left side. Roll the dough tightly away from you, shaping it into a perfectly smooth, taut, uniform boule or batard.
3. Basket Stabilization & Fridge Retard: Transfer the shaped roll seam-side up into your well-floured proofing basket. Cover with plastic wrap and return the basket to a warm 80°F (27°C) spot for exactly 15 minutes to stabilize. Slide the basket directly into your refrigerator to rise slowly for 14 to 24 hours of cold fermentation retard at a stable 40°F (4°C).

Day 3 – Blazing Cast Iron Bake

1. Next Morning – Preheating: Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). Place your cast iron pan and lid onto the middle rack to heat up thoroughly for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Scoring & Loading: Remove the cold golden dough basket from the fridge. Flip it over gently onto a sheet of parchment paper and score the smooth surface with one clean, long, deep cut using a sharp lame or razor blade. (Optional: You can press a few extra raw pumpkin seeds into the crust around the score line for visual effect).
3. The Steam Bake: Transfer the dough carefully onto the smoking hot cast iron pan base, drop the heavy lid down tightly to lock in the steam, and bake at 500°F (260°C) with the lid on for exactly 15 minutes.
4. The Open Bake: Carefully lift the hot lid off to expose the loaf, lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C), and continue baking bare for an additional 20 minutes until the crust turns an incredibly deep golden-brown hue. Let cool on a wire rack for 2 full hours before slicing!

Nutrition

Calories1519kcalCarbohydrates253gProtein59gFat31gSaturated Fat5gPolyunsaturated Fat13gMonounsaturated Fat9gTrans Fat0.03gCholesterol9mgSodium447mgPotassium1023mgFiber15gSugar2gVitamin A25IUVitamin C2mgCalcium104mgIron11mg

Notes

• Why Pre-Soaking the Seeds is a Absolute Necessity: Adding raw or roasted dry seeds directly into an artisan sourdough mix will quickly ruin your crumb texture. Dry seeds are incredibly thirsty and will act like tiny sponges, pulling hydration straight out of the surrounding dough matrix. This creates dense, dry, and gummy pockets immediately surrounding the inclusions. Pre-soaking the pumpkin seeds overnight ensures they are fully saturated and won’t disrupt your dough’s hydration.
• The Golden Properties of Turmeric in Sourdough: Beyond providing a magnificent, deep marigold color to your interior crumb, turmeric root powder carries a warm, subtle woodsy profile that complements the natural lactic tang of a long sourdough fermentation. Turmeric is also a natural antioxidant, though it can slightly soften gluten structures; capping the inclusion at a precise 4 grams guarantees a stellar color and flavor profile without weakening your oven spring.
• Perfecting Inclusions via Lamination: Rather than attempting to force heavy, slippery pumpkin seeds into the dough during the initial autolyse or mixing stages—which would physically slice through fragile gluten networks—this recipe relies on a clean lamination step. Stretching the relaxed dough into a thin sheet at 10:00 AM creates an orderly distribution of seeds, neatly layering them into the bread without compromising its structural volume.

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