Pumpkin-Shaped Sourdough Bread

5 from 3 votes

Discover the art of crafting a beautiful pumpkin-shaped sourdough bread with these step-by-step instructions made simple!

Prep Time1

Cook Time35

Resting time1

Course: Side Dish

Servings: loaf

Calories: 180kcal

In a mixing bowl add 350 grams of water and stir in the sourdough starter and salt until it dissolves and the water becomes milky.
Next, add 500 grams of bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough is formed. Ensure all of the flour has been absorbed by the water.
Cover the dough mixture with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30-45 minutes.

After the dough has rested work the dough into a smooth ball by folding it into itself repetitively for 3-5 minutes.
Once the dough becomes smooth, cover the dough and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Next, perform your first stretch and fold. This is where you scoop your hand under a portion of the dough stretch it a few inches and fold it to the opposing side. You will stretch and fold all 4 quadrants of the dough.
Once complete, cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Perform 3 more stretch and folds within 30-minute increments, totaling 4 stretch and folds.
Once all stretch and folds are complete, cover the dough and let it rest for the remainder of the bulk rise or until it has doubled in size.

Once the dough has doubled in size (mine took a total of 6 hours) remove it from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
Using your hands or bench scraper create a round shape. Then, cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.

After the dough has rested, sprinkle some flour over the surface of the dough and flip the dough over so the flour side is now on the work surface.
Using the envelope-style shaping method, fold the top of the dough to the center, the left side to the center, the right side over the left side, and the bottom of the dough to the center.
Flip the dough back over and tighten the shape using your hands. Gently push the dough towards yourself and make circular motions to tighten the seams.
Once the desired shape has been achieved, place the dough in a linen-lined lightly floured bowl seam side up and cover it with a towel or place it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight (10-12 hours).

Tip: pop the dough in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before getting ready to shape.
Cut 4 pieces of twine approximately 36 inches each and tie them all together with a single knot in the middle.
Remove the dough from the freezer and sprinkle some rice flour onto the surface of the dough.
Place the twine on the surface of the dough with the knot in the center and spread the twine evenly across the dough.
Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough followed by a cutting board to use as support to flip everything over. Then, gently remove the banneton basket.
Next, sift some rice flour over the top of the dough to ensure the twine won't stick, this will also help your design pop!
Readjust the strings as needed to ensure the sections are even and begin to tie two at a time. Grab strings from the opposite side of the sourdough boule and tie them in a knot at the center. Do not tie the string too tight as the dough needs room to expand.
Once all the strings have been tied, cut the excess string off right above the knot.

If you desire to score the bread, you can make some fun designs in each section using a bread lame.

Tip: preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with your baking pan for 20-30 minutes.
Once the shaping is complete, transfer the dough using the parchment paper into your cast iron or Dutch oven and bake for 20 minutes covered at 500 degrees F.
After 20 minutes, remove the lid reduce the temperature to 450 degrees F, and bake for another 15-17 minutes uncovered.
Allow the bread to cool for 1-2 hours on a cooling rack.

Allow the bread to cool completely before trying to remove the twine.
Simply cut the strings from the top and start to peel them away from the bread.
Flip the bread over and use the tip of a knife to remove any twine that is stubborn. It should pull right off with a little elbow grease!

If you want to add a "pumpkin stem" to complete the look, I recommend a cinnamon stick or a real stem from a squash or pumpkin.
Using a knife, cut a shallow hole in the middle of the loaf and insert your stem of choice.
Enjoy your beautiful design! They make wonderful Thanksgiving centerpieces :)

Baker's schedule: feed your starter in the AM to mix the dough by the afternoon to bake for the following morning.

Tip: make sure to use an active, bubbly starter that is at its peak.