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close up of a sourdough pumpkinseed bread loaf on a cooling rack

Sourdough Pumpkin Seed Bread

This bread is some of the best! For reliable results, weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale.

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, lunch
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword Banana bread, pumpkin seeds, sourdough
Servings 2 loaves
Author Naomi

Ingredients

  • 5-1/2 cups (800g) all purpose flour +up to 1/4 cup of flour if the dough is very wet, but not more than that.
  • 2-1/3 cups (575g) water
  • 1 Tbsp (15g) salt
  • 1-1/4 cups (200g) active sourdough starter
  • 1-2/3 cups (250g) pumpkin seeds divided

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, water, salt, starter, and 2/3 cup (100g) of the pumpkin seeds until a soft, shaggy dough forms (make sure all of the dry flour gets incorporated into the dough). Cover with a damp tea towel and allow this to rest 20-30 minutes.

  2. Stick your hand under the dough, grab a handful, and pull it up as high as you can without breaking it. Fold the stretched dough down over the top of the whole amount. Repeat this process from different sides of the dough 4-5 times, or until the dough isn't "loose" anymore and it begins to feel stronger, or "taut". Cover, and allow this to rest 30 minutes.
  3. Repeat the stretch and fold process, folding 3-4 times, or until the dough begins to feel stronger (harder to stretch) again. Cover, and allow to rest another 30 minutes.
  4. Repeat the stretch and fold process one final time, again folding 3-4 times, or until the dough feels taut and smooth. Cover, and allow to rest 3-6 hours or until the dough is doubled or nearly doubled in bulk.
  5. For the pre-shape (optional):
  6. Turn the dough out onto a clean, unfloured work surface. Divide it into 2 equal portions, and stretch one piece of the dough out into a square. Pull the corners of the the square into the centre, and then repeat "stretching and folding" the edges into the centre (from each corner, about 3-4 more times) until the dough comes together into a smooth ball. Turn upside down, and repeat with the other section of dough. Cover, and allow these to rest 30 minutes.
  7. If you choose to skip the pre-shape, you can place your shaped loaves smooth-side down into flour-dusted banneton baskets or bowls at this point.
  8. Shape the dough:

  9. Pull each pre-shaped loaf into a square again, and stretch and fold the corners into the centre again. Roll the dough into a loaf shape, and pat the outside with a clean paper towel dipped in water, to make the surface of the dough sticky. Put the remaining pumpkin seeds (1 cup or 150g) onto a large plate, and roll the sticky dough in seeds to cover it. Place the loaf smooth side down into a lightly floured banneton basket or bowl* lined with a tea towel. Repeat with the second loaf.

  10. Sprinkle the tops with more pumpkin seeds, if desired, and cover with a bit of plastic wrap (optional). Fold the towel over top, and place the loaves immediately into the refrigerator. Allow to rest in the fridge until the next morning.

  11. Bake the bread:

  12. The next morning, place a dutch oven into a cold oven, and preheat to 425 degrees F. Set the timer for 15 minutes.

  13. Uncover the bread and remove the plastic wrap. Turn out onto a sheet of parchment paper, and score with a sharp knife or razor blade (one or two slashes is good for this recipe).

  14. Once the dutch oven has been in the oven heating for 15 minutes, take it from the oven, remove the lid, and lift the bread into the hot dutch oven by the parchment paper sheet. Cover, and return to the oven for 35 minutes.

  15. Remove the lid from the dutch oven, and allow the bread to bake 10 minutes more, just to brown it. Repeat with the second loaf, or save it for the next day to bake it fresh. Cool fresh bread on a wire rack. For best results, cool the bread completely before slicing into it.

Recipe Notes

*To use a bowl instead of a basket, the perfect size for these loaves is a bowl that measures about 7 inches across the top and about 4 inches deep.