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Bring the cosy flavours of autumn into your kitchen with this easy, delicious sourdough bread packed with crunchy pumpkin seeds. This recipe combines the tang of sourdough with the nutty richness of seeds for a loaf that’s as nourishing as it is satisfying. Whether you’re just getting started with sourdough or looking to switch things up, this recipe is a simple yet impressive way to level up your baking. Let’s walk through each step together – from starter to slice.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Seasonal Flavour: The nutty crunch of pumpkin seeds pairs beautifully with the tang of sourdough—perfect for autumn and beyond.
Wholesome and Hearty: Made with natural fermentation and nutritious seeds, this bread is as good for your body as it is for your taste buds.
Simple Yet Impressive: No fancy techniques needed—just a few basic steps and you’ll have a rustic, bakery-style loaf at home.
Versatile: Delicious toasted with butter, served with soup, or used for hearty sandwiches.
Satisfyingly Crunchy Crust: Baked to a golden crisp with toasty seeds on top and throughout for extra texture in every bite.
Difficulty Level
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Ingredients
Active sourdough starter: This is the natural leavening agent that brings your bread to life. It contains wild yeast and beneficial bacteria that ferment the dough, producing carbon dioxide to make it rise and organic acids that develop complex, tangy flavours. An active, bubbly starter ensures good fermentation activity, resulting in better rise, texture, and depth of flavour.
Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content compared to all-purpose flour, which translates to more gluten formation. Gluten is the network of proteins that provides structure and elasticity to the dough, allowing it to stretch without tearing and trap gas bubbles for a light, airy crumb. Using bread flour helps your loaf hold its shape and develop a chewy, satisfying texture.
Warm water: Water hydrates the flour proteins, enabling gluten to develop properly. It also activates enzymes and the yeast in the starter, jump-starting fermentation. The temperature of the water is important—too hot can kill the yeast, too cold slows fermentation. Warm water supports an even rise and helps create a tender crumb.
Salt: Salt strengthens the gluten network, improving dough elasticity and handling. It also balances the overall flavour by enhancing sweetness and suppressing bitterness. Additionally, salt regulates yeast activity, preventing over-fermentation so the dough develops flavour gradually and maintains good texture.
Pumpkin seeds: Adding pumpkin seeds introduces a delightful crunch and nutty richness to the bread. They provide textural contrast within the soft crumb and contribute visual appeal with their vibrant green colour. Pumpkin seeds also add nutritional benefits such as protein, healthy fats, and minerals, enhancing the bread’s health profile.
Honey or sugar: These natural sweeteners feed the yeast and bacteria in the starter, boosting fermentation activity. They add a subtle sweetness that balances the sourness of the dough and promote caramelization during baking, resulting in a beautifully browned crust with rich flavour notes.
Olive oil: Olive oil tenderizes the crumb by coating the flour proteins and limiting gluten overdevelopment. It adds moisture, helping keep the bread soft and fresh longer. The oil also enriches the dough, contributing a subtle fruity flavour and improving overall mouthfeel.
Tools and Equipment
Kitchen Scales: We will use scales to weight all of the ingredients. Including wet ingredients. It’s so much easier to weigh wet ingredients then use measuring cup.
Mixing Bowl: Any larger size mixing bowl will work.
Cover for Bowl: Your mixing bowl could already come with the cover. But if not, you can use cling film to cover the top of your bowl and it is also great option because it seals the top of the bowl well and it is easy to re-seal it. You can also use kitchen tea towel. Or any other top for example maybe a top of the larger bowl top.
Danish Hook or Spoon for Mixing: if you plan to bake sourdough more often, you should invest in a Danish hook. These are really tough tools for mixing made out of tough metal wire head on the handle. It can mix the toughest doughs. But you can also use a wooden spoon, or just a dinner table spoon will do the job too.
Banneton Basket: banneton basket is great for helping dough to create a shape for wet sourdough bread doughs. They can be left to proof in the fridge. They cannot be used during baking as they are made out of wood.
Dough Scraper: these are usually either made out of plastic or metal. Either type is great. Although, I have managed to chip my plastic dough scraper. These are great for cutting and dividing dough as well as scraping and cleaning dough off the surfaces.
Parchment paper: this is great to ensure bread won’t stick to baking tray during baking.
Cling film: it is useful to line-up banneton basket, or to cover mixing bowl. As well as covering dough while cold proofing to ensure dough would not dry out.
Lame (Scoring Tool): To score the dough before baking, allowing controlled expansion.
Flat baking tray: standard flat baking tray for baking.
Recipe Timeline
7:00 AM – Feed Your Starter
11:30 AM – Mix the Dough
12:30 PM – First Stretch and Fold
1:00 PM – Second Stretch and Fold
1:30 PM – Bulk Fermentation
5:30 PM – Shape the Dough
5:45 PM – Cold Proof in Fridge
7:45 PM – Preheat Oven
8:00 PM – Score and Bake
8:50 PM – Cool the Bread
Dough Characteristics
Slightly tacky but manageable, not overly sticky. Medium hydration for a balanced crumb and structure. Smooth and elastic after kneading and stretch & folds. Puffy and airy after bulk fermentation. Holds shape well during shaping and proofing. Soft to the touch with gentle spring-back before baking.
Recipe Testing
Tested with different hydration levels; 53% hydration gives best balance of crumb and handling.
Starter must be active and bubbly for good rise and flavour.
Bulk fermentation time may vary depending on room temperature (3.5 to 5 hours ideal).
Baking times adjusted for oven variations; internal temperature should reach ~96°C (205°F).
Cold proof in fridge helps develop flavour and improves dough handling.
Serving Ideas
Simple Breakfast: Toast with butter and honey for a quick, comforting start to your day.
Cheese & Fruit: Pair with creamy cheese and fresh fruit for a delightful snack.
Hearty Sandwiches: Use as a base for sandwiches with smoked salmon or roasted vegetables.
Soup Companion: Serve alongside soups and stews to soak up rich, warming flavours.
Grilled Cheese: Make classic grilled cheese sandwiches with sharp cheddar for comfort food.
Healthy Snack: Top with avocado and chili flakes for a nutritious and tasty bite.
Storage
Room Temperature: Store in a paper bag or bread box for up to 3 days to keep the crust crisp and the crumb soft.
Refrigeration: Wrap tightly in plastic or a reusable bag and refrigerate for up to 1 week; note this may dry out the bread faster.
Freezing: Slice the bread, then freeze in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. Toast or warm slices directly from the freezer.
Nutritional Information
Based on 12 slices:
Calories per slice: ~191 kcal
Protein per slice: ~5.4 g
Carbs per slice: ~33 g
Fat per slice: ~4 g
Tips for Success
Starter Activity: Use a bubbly, well-fed starter to ensure good rise and flavour development.
Gentle Handling: Be gentle when folding and shaping to preserve the dough’s airiness and structure.
Proper Baking: Preheat the oven fully and bake long enough for a deep crust and thorough crumb development.
FAQ
Can I use whole wheat flour? Yes! You can substitute up to 25% of the bread flour with whole wheat. This will add a nuttier flavour and more nutrients but may make the dough denser and slow down fermentation slightly. Adjust water as needed since whole wheat absorbs more moisture.
Why is my dough sticky? Sourdough doughs often feel sticky due to higher hydration and natural fermentation. Resist adding too much extra flour; instead, use gentle folding techniques to develop gluten. The dough will become smoother and less sticky as you stretch and fold it.
Can I skip the cold proof? Cold proofing in the fridge enhances flavour and helps develop the crumb’s texture, but it’s optional. If short on time, you can proof at room temperature, though the bread may be less flavourful and have a different texture.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Recipe (+ YouTube video)
- Sourdough Zucchini Cheddar Muffins Recipe
Print Pin
Sourdough Bread with Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
Author Gitana Bulatova
Ingredients
- 200g active sourdough starter (make sure it’s bubbly and fed within the last 4-6 hours)
- 450g bread flour (high-protein flour helps develop gluten)
- 240g warm water
- 10g salt
- 50g pumpkin seeds
- 25g of honey or sugar
- 20g of olive oil (can also use sunflower or vegetable oil)
Instructions
Prepare sourdough starter: feed your sourdough starter with fresh flour and water and wait anything from 4 to 12 hours before baking. Always do float test to ensure your sourdough starter is ready for bread making.
Mix the dough: pop mixing bowl on the scale and add 240g of water, 200g of starter, 10g of salt, 50g of pumpkin seeds and 25g of honey. Mix it with the Danish dough hook or spoon. Then add 450g of bread flour. Mix it well.
It's not a high hydration dough so there aren't that many liquids in it. You may feel like there are a bit too much flour left. But if you just do some gentle kneading to collect the rest of the flour. Once well mixed, leave it to rest covered for 60 minutes.
Perform 2 x sets of stretch and folds with 30 minutes rest in between.
Leave it to bulk ferment your sourdough for about 4 hours. If you will be out of the house for longer, leave your dough in the fridge.
Prepare your bread tin. Line up with a baking paper or cover it in the butter.
Get your dough out of the bowl on the worktop. Stretch the dough slightly into sort of rectangular shape. Fold it longways in 3 parts. Then roll this long stretch of dough. And then do some pulls with your palms over the dough to tighten up the bottom of the dough.
Place your bread in a tin and leave it in the fridge for about 2 hours.
Pre-heat your oven to 230C.
Once the dough out of the fridge, score it with the bread lame and put it straight into a hot oven. Bake it for 30 minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 210C for 20 minutes.
Remove bread out of the oven and let it cool down for few hours or best overnight. Enjoy!
Gitana Bulatova
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