There’s something truly magical about the moment the air turns crisp and the wonderful scent of fall baking starts to fill the kitchen. For me, that comforting smell is almost always pumpkin. Ever since I was a kid, pumpkin bread has been a staple in our house, the one treat that meant cozy season had officially arrived.
As I grew up and fell in love with baking, I started experimenting with those beloved family recipes. My favorite discovery? Adding sourdough discard to pumpkin bread. It was a total game-changer, adding a subtle, tangy depth that perfectly balances the sweet pumpkin and warm spices. It makes the flavor so much more interesting!
This sourdough pumpkin bread is the delicious result of that experimentation. It’s incredibly moist and tender, and honestly, it’s one of the easiest quick breads you’ll ever make. Best of all, it gives that sourdough discard sitting in your fridge a delicious new purpose.
This isn’t just about baking a loaf of bread. It’s about creating a feeling, sharing a moment, and enjoying a simple treat with the people you care about. You’re going to love trying this!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Pumpkin Bread Recipe
This isn’t just another pumpkin bread. I have a feeling this will become your new favorite fall treat, and here are a few reasons why this sourdough pumpkin bread recipe is a keeper.
- It Uses Sourdough Discard. This is the ultimate no-waste recipe! It gives new life to your sourdough discard, adding a wonderful tangy flavor and incredible moisture that sets this loaf apart.
- It’s Incredibly Moist. Thanks to the combination of pumpkin puree and sourdough discard, this bread has a beautifully soft and tender crumb. It stays fresh and delicious for days after baking.
- It’s an Easy Quick Bread. There is no kneading or long waiting required. If you love simple baking projects like my 4 ingredient banana bread healthy or this rich Banana Bread with Olive Oil, you’ll appreciate how quickly this pumpkin loaf comes together.
- It’s Full of Fall Flavor. Loaded with cozy pumpkin pie spice, every slice of this delicious sourdough pumpkin bread tastes just like autumn. It’s the perfect comfort bake for a chilly day.
Ingredients for the Perfect Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
This recipe comes together with simple pantry staples, which is one of the things I love most about it. Here’s exactly what you’ll need to create this delicious sourdough pumpkin bread.
I always suggest getting all your ingredients measured and ready before you start mixing. It’s a little habit chefs call “mise en place,” and it makes the whole process feel calm, smooth, and much more fun!
Wet Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 300 g (1 ½ cups) of tightly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (250 g) sourdough starter (unfed discard is perfect for this!)
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
- 1 (15 oz.) can (425 g) pumpkin puree (check the label to make sure it’s 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling!)
Dry Ingredients
Here are the dry ingredients you’ll need for this easy sourdough pumpkin bread. I recommend whisking them together in a separate bowl to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Let’s Get Baking: Step-by-Step Instructions
Ready to fill your home with the amazing smell of baking? I thought so! Let’s walk through this together, step-by-step. Don’t worry, this sourdough pumpkin bread recipe is incredibly forgiving and fun to make.
- Prep Your Oven and Pan: First things first, get your oven preheating to 350°F (175°C). Next, grab a 9×5 inch loaf pan. You can either grease and flour it well or do my favorite trick: line it with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on the long sides. This creates “handles” that make it super easy to lift the bread out later!
- Combine Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, pour in your melted butter and the packed light brown sugar. Whisk them together until they’re well combined and look like wet sand.
- Add Eggs and Flavor: Now, add your room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one before adding the next. Stir in your sourdough discard and the vanilla extract. The mixture might look a little lumpy or separated at this point—that is completely normal, so don’t fret!
- Stir in the Pumpkin: Time for the star of the show! Add the pumpkin puree to the wet ingredients and mix everything together until it’s smooth and has a beautiful, vibrant orange color.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a separate, medium-sized bowl, add the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Give them a good whisk for about 30 seconds. This simple step ensures all the spices and leaveners are evenly distributed, which means a perfect bake every time.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the bowl with the wet pumpkin mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold everything together until it is just combined. The most important rule of quick breads is to not overmix! It’s perfectly okay if you see a few streaks of flour. Overmixing will make your bread tough and dense.
- Pour and Smooth: Carefully scrape the finished sourdough pumpkin bread batter into your prepared loaf pan. Use your spatula to gently spread it into an even layer and smooth the top.
- Bake to Perfection: Place the loaf pan on the center rack of your preheated oven. Let it bake for 60 to 75 minutes. All ovens are a little different, so I recommend starting to check on it around the 60-minute mark.
- Check for Doneness: The best way to check if your sourdough pumpkin bread is ready is with a toothpick or a wooden skewer. Insert it into the very center of the loaf. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs stuck to it, your bread is done! If you see wet batter, it needs another 5 to 10 minutes in the oven.
- Cool Completely: Once it’s baked, let the sourdough pumpkin bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Then, use your parchment paper handles to lift it out and place it directly on the rack to cool completely. I know how tempting it is to slice into it right away, but this step is so important! It allows the crumb to set, giving you perfect, moist slices.
Chef’s Secrets for the Best Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
Want to take your bread from great to absolutely unforgettable? Every baker has a few little tricks that make all the difference. Here are some of my favorite secrets for guaranteeing a perfect sourdough pumpkin bread every time.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter. This is the golden rule of all quick breads! Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix only until you no longer see big streaks of flour. Overmixing develops the gluten, which results in a tough, dense loaf instead of a light and tender one.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients. Using room temperature eggs and sourdough discard is a small step that has a big impact. They blend together more easily, creating a smoother, more uniform batter. This even emulsion helps create the perfect final texture in your bread.
- Measure Your Flour Correctly. Did you know you might be adding too much flour without realizing it? Instead of scooping directly from the bag, use a spoon to fluff up the flour and then spoon it into your measuring cup. Level it by running the straight edge of a knife across the top. For those interested in gluten-free baking, it’s a different world with its own rules, much like in my Gluten Free Sourdough Bread Recipe.
- Tent the Loaf with Foil. Sometimes the top of a loaf browns faster than the inside can cook through. If you notice your sourdough pumpkin bread getting too dark on top, just loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over it. This “tent” will protect the top while the center finishes baking.
Fun Recipe Variations
This sourdough pumpkin bread is a fantastic base for getting creative in the kitchen! While it’s absolutely delicious on its own, it’s also fun to mix things up. These variations on our classic sourdough pumpkin bread are a great place to start.
- Chocolate Chip Delight: Fold in 1 cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips with your dry ingredients. Trust me, the combination of rich chocolate and spiced pumpkin is a dream team!
- Add a Nutty Crunch: For a lovely texture and warm, earthy flavor, stir ¾ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter. Toasting the nuts in a dry pan for a few minutes beforehand really makes their flavor pop.
- Dreamy Cream Cheese Swirl: In a small bowl, mix 4 oz of softened cream cheese with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 egg yolk until smooth. Pour half the batter into your pan, add dollops of the cream cheese mixture, top with the remaining batter, and swirl gently with a knife before baking.
- Finish with a Simple Glaze: Once the loaf is completely cool, whisk together ½ cup of powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of milk and a dash of vanilla. Drizzle this simple icing over the top for a sweet finish.
Storing Your Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
This bread stores beautifully, making it perfect for baking ahead. Here is how to properly store your sourdough pumpkin bread to keep it fresh. The most important step is to let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack first. Once it is, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. It will stay wonderfully fresh and moist at room temperature for up to 4 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze it! Simply wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag. You can freeze the bread, and it’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months. When you’re ready for a treat, just thaw your sourdough pumpkin bread at room temperature and enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
I get a lot of wonderful questions about baking with pumpkin and sourdough. These are the ones I hear about all the time! A quick note: some of these questions about shaping bread like a pumpkin are for traditional, crusty artisan loaves, which use a different method than our easy quick bread recipe here.
How to make pumpkin sourdough bread?
To make a traditional, artisan-style sourdough pumpkin bread (the crusty kind!), you would start with your favorite sourdough recipe. The main change is adding pumpkin puree to your dough. Since the puree is very wet, you’ll need to reduce the amount of water in your recipe to get the right dough consistency. A good rule of thumb is to reduce the water by about 70-75% of the pumpkin’s weight. From there, you just follow your normal process of stretch-and-folds, bulk fermentation, shaping, and baking. Many bakers have wonderful tutorials for a classic artisan sourdough pumpkin bread if you’d like to try that version.
How to make sourdough bread look like a pumpkin?
That amazing pumpkin shape comes from a simple trick using baker’s twine! After you’ve shaped your dough into a ball and right before its final cold proof, you tie several pieces of oven-safe kitchen twine around the dough to create those classic pumpkin ridges. After the loaf is baked and has cooled down a bit, you carefully snip and remove the twine. For the final touch, a cinnamon stick or a small pretzel piece makes a perfect “stem”!
How to tie a pumpkin sourdough bread?
It’s easier than it looks, I promise! Just cut four long pieces of baker’s twine. Lay them on your counter in a starburst pattern, like an asterisk (*). Place your shaped dough ball right in the center. Then, bring the ends of the twine up and over the dough, tying them all together in a loose knot at the top. You want the twine to be snug enough to create grooves as the bread bakes and expands, but not so tight that it strangles the dough.
Can I use active, bubbly starter in this quick bread recipe?
Yes, absolutely! You can use either unfed sourdough discard or an active, bubbly starter in this specific sourdough pumpkin bread recipe. Both work wonderfully. Because the main leavening agents here are baking soda and baking powder, using an active starter won’t make this loaf rise like an artisan bread. However, it will contribute the same delicious, tangy flavor that makes this bread so special.
Conclusion
Baking is about so much more than just following a recipe. It’s about creating something with your hands that you can share, something that brings a little bit of joy and comfort to your corner of the world. It’s about making memories and turning simple ingredients into a moment of happiness.
This sourdough pumpkin bread is one of those special recipes for me. It’s the taste of autumn, a hug in a loaf pan, and something I absolutely love to bake for others. I truly hope this recipe for sourdough pumpkin bread brings as much warmth and happiness to your kitchen as it does to mine.
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Sourdough Pumpkin Bread: An Easy Delicious Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (10-12 slices) 1x
Description
The best sourdough pumpkin bread! This easy recipe uses sourdough discard for an incredibly moist, tender loaf packed with cozy fall spices. A perfect autumn treat!
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (250 g) sourdough starter (unfed discard is perfect)
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
- 1 (15 oz.) can (425 g) pumpkin puree
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper with an overhang on the sides.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and light brown sugar until combined.
3. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the sourdough discard and vanilla extract.
4. Add the pumpkin puree to the wet ingredients and mix until everything is smooth and uniform.
5. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
6. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Gently fold the mixture together with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
7. Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
8. Place the loaf pan in the center of your preheated oven. Bake for 60-75 minutes.
9. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, it’s ready.
10. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before lifting it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Chef’s Tip: Do not overmix the batter! Mix only until the flour is just combined for a tender, light bread. Using room temperature ingredients also helps create a better texture.
Variations: Feel free to fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips or ¾ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans with the dry ingredients. For a cream cheese swirl, mix 4 oz of softened cream cheese with 2 tbsp sugar and 1 egg yolk, then swirl into the batter before baking.
Storage: Store the completely cooled bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Bread, Sourdough
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 300kcal
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 335mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
Keywords: sourdough pumpkin bread, sourdough discard recipe, pumpkin quick bread, fall baking, easy pumpkin bread