Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Claudia Curici, Health Coach
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cold fermentation: 8 hours
  • Cook Time: 80 minutes
  • Total Time: 9 hours 50 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings

Description

This gluten-free pumpkin sourdough bread is a festive, cozy loaf that brings the flavors of fall to your table. Gently sweet and aromatic from pumpkin and warm spices, it’s made with a gluten-free sourdough starter and just a few wholesome ingredients — no gums, yeast, or chemical leavening agents. The result is a nourishing, tender bread with a rustic pumpkin shape that’s perfect for autumn and holiday gatherings or simply toasted with butter on a crisp morning.

Ingredients

FOR THE PREFERMENT

  • 10 g active sourdough starter
  • 35 g filtered water
  • 35 g flour (I use an equal mix of millet, teff, and sorghum)

THE WET INGREDIENTS

  • 17 g whole psyllium husk flakes
  • 365 g filtered water, divided (350 g + 15 g)
  • 20 g raw honey (substitute maple syrup if vegan)
  • 10 g extra-virgin olive oil
  • 100 g pumpkin purée
  • All of the preferment

THE DRY INGREDIENTS

  • 230 g gluten-free flour mix (110 g millet + 60 g sorghum + 60 g teff)
  • 70 g tapioca flour
  • 6 g fine sea salt (non-iodized)
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp cardamom

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Preferment: In a small clean jar, mix all preferment ingredients until no dry flour remains. Cover and let ferment at room temperature (21–23 °C / 70–74 °F) for 6–8 hours, or until bubbly, almost doubled, and cracked on top with a pleasant aroma.
  2. Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine psyllium flakes, honey, olive oil, pumpkin purée, and 350 g water. Stir well and let sit 3–5 minutes to form a thick gel. Add the preferment, using the remaining 15 g water to rinse the jar, and mix until smooth and uniform.
  3. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients until evenly combined.
  4. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Add the wet gel to the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula, then with clean hands until a homogeneous dough forms (1–2 minutes). If too dry, add more water, 5 g at a time. Scrape down the bowl with the plastic scraper, then fold the dough toward the center using the scraper, rotating the bowl, about 20 times. Cover and rest for 10–15 minutes. The dough should be thick, soft, and slightly sticky, well hydrated but holding its shape. 
  5. Shape the Loaf: Lightly flour a surface and gently invert the dough onto it. Fold the far edge to the center, then roll it toward you, until it’s shaped like a log with the seam facing the surface. With the seam down, cup your hands around the dough and rotate to tighten it into a smooth round ball. Lightly dust with flour and place seam-side up in a floured, cloth-lined bowl. Dust again, cover with a cloth, then a plastic wrap or cover.
  6. Overnight Fermentation: Refrigerate overnight in the coldest part of the fridge, usually the bottom shelf, in the back (ideally no longer than 9 hours). Make sure the temperature of your fridge is set to 2°C (36°F).
  7. Preheat, Create the Pumpkin Shape, and Score: Preheat a Dutch oven (with lid) at 250 °C / 480 °F for 30–40 minutes. Cut four 28-inch (70 cm) pieces of kitchen twine and arrange them on a sheet of parchment so they intersect in the center, forming eight equal sections (like an eight-pointed star). Dust the dough with flour, then invert it onto the parchment where the strings cross. Dust again so the strings don’t stick. Tie each string loosely over the top to form eight pumpkin-like sections — snug but not tight. Tie them all together, then trim excess string. Score each section as shown in the pictures above. 
  8. Bake: Using oven mitts, remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven and remove the lid. Lift the dough by the parchment and lower it into the pot. Bake covered for 40 minutes, then uncovered 35–40 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden-brown. Remove the parchment paper and cool on a rack at least 5 hours before removing the strings and slicing. Cut and remove strings, and insert a 1-inch cinnamon stick in the center for decoration. 
  9. Slice, Toast & Enjoy: Slice the loaf in half, then place each half cut-side down and slice thinly. Toast before serving for the best texture and flavor, and enjoy with salted butter.
  10. Storage: For short-term storage,  wrap the cooled loaf in a clean cotton towel or place it in a paper bag. It keeps well at room temperature for up to 3 days. If it starts to dry out, toasting will bring back the moisture. For long-term storage, slice and freeze with parchment paper between slices. You can toast directly from frozen or let it thaw at room temperature and toast.

Notes

  • The post above the recipe card includes a suggested baking schedule, a detailed pumpkin-shaping tutorial, and plenty of visual guidance to help you through each step. I recommend checking it before you start.

Find it online: https://creativeinmykitchen.com/gluten-free-pumpkin-sourdough-bread/