Turmeric Sourdough with Pumpkin Seeds
1451kcal
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter Levain
- 5 g Sourdough starter culture
- 35 g Water
- 30 g All-purpose flour or bread flour
- 5 g Rye flour
Main Golden Dough Base
- 270 g Bread flour (90%)
- 30 g Stone-ground whole wheat flour (10%)
- 6 g Ground turmeric powder (2%)
- 207 g Water (69% – for main autolyse)
- 21 g Cold water (7% – reserved for bassinage)
- 60 g Active levain (20% – from stage above)
- 6 g Salt (2%)
- 30–40 g Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Cast Iron Pan with Lid / Dutch Oven
- Scoring Lame (or sharp razor blade)
Method
1. Starter Levain Build (7:00 AM)
- In a small jar, whisk 5 g starter into 35 g water until combined. Stir in 30 g bread/AP flour and 5 g rye flour.
- Cover loosely and let ferment at 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 8–10 hours until peaked and tripled in volume.
2. Turmeric Autolyse & Mixing (5:00 PM)
- Autolyse (5:00 PM): In a mixing bowl, combine 270 g bread flour, 30 g whole wheat flour, 6 g turmeric powder, and 207 g water. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and let autolyse for 1 hour.
- Starter Integration (6:00 PM): Add 60 g active levain. Mix on low speed for 2–3 minutes (or KitchenAid speed 3 for 3–4 minutes). Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Bassinage & Salt (6:30 PM): Add 6 g salt and 21 g cold extra water. Mix on low speed for 2–3 minutes (or KitchenAid speed 3 for 5–6 minutes) until the dough comes together cohesive but slightly sticky on the bottom. Rest for 30 minutes.
3. Lamination & Bulk Fermentation
- Lamination & Pumpkin Seeds (7:00 PM): Lightly spray work surface with water and wet your hands. Stretch dough thin into a rectangle (lamination), scatter 30–40 g pumpkin seeds evenly over the surface, fold into a package, and rest for 45 minutes.
- Stretch & Folds: Perform 3 sets of stretch-and-folds spaced 45 minutes apart (7:45 PM, 8:30 PM, 9:15 PM).
- After final fold, let dough proof untouched for 30 minutes until visibly lighter and hit a 40%–50% rise.
4. Preshaping, Shaping & Cold Retard
- Preshape (9:45 PM): Turn dough onto counter, dust top with flour, flip over, fold edges onto itself, and let rest uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Shape (10:15 PM): Flip dough over, pull corners inward, and roll into a smooth, taut ball or log.
- Transfer seam-side up into a floured proofing basket, cover with plastic, rest at 80°F (27°C) for 15 minutes, then place into the refrigerator for a 14–24 hour cold retard.
5. Next Morning: Bake
- Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) with a cast iron pan and lid inside for 45–60 minutes.
- Flip cold dough onto parchment paper, score with a sharp lame, and transfer to hot cast iron pan.
- Cover with lid and bake at 500°F (260°C) for 15 minutes.
- Remove lid, lower heat to 450°F (232°C), and bake uncovered for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool 2 hours before slicing!
Nutrition
Calories1451kcalCarbohydrates264gProtein51gFat21gSaturated Fat4gPolyunsaturated Fat9gMonounsaturated Fat5gTrans Fat0.02gSodium2351mgPotassium824mgFiber15gSugar2gVitamin A13IUVitamin C2mgCalcium91mgIron10mg
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.