How To Make A Pumpkin-Shaped Sourdough Bread
There’s something special about seasonal baking that brings an extra layer of creativity and joy to the kitchen. As the weather cools down and autumn arrives, I often bake a pumpkin-shaped sourdough bread. Whether you’re looking to impress guests, give your bake as a gift or simply add a fun twist to your homemade bread, this design is truly eye-catching and a great way to celebrate the season.
What makes this project even more appealing is how surprisingly easy it is. With just a bit of kitchen or butcher’s twine and your usual baking tools, you can transform a simple loaf into a charming, pumpkin-like centrepiece. The beauty of sourdough is that it’s as much about creativity as it is about flavor, and this technique combines both for a show-stopping result.
In this article, I’ll share some helpful tips and step-by-step instructions to guide you through the process. Whether you’re an experienced baker or just starting out, you’ll find this method both accessible and rewarding.
Before You Start
Flour - when creating pumpkin-shaped dough choose flour that is not too sticky and one that has enough gluten to produce an oven spring. For best results I’d recommend using white or wholemeal flour, with the ratios anywhere from 100% white bread flour to a 60/40 mix of white and wholemeal.
Hydration - Aim for a moderate hydration level, ideally between 70-80%. Remember to adjust the water based on the type of flour you use and its protein content.
Proofing – Since this design doesn’t typically have one major expansion score, you’ll want to prevent excessive bursts or uncontrolled oven spring. Ensure your dough is well-proofed, or even slightly over-proofed. I usually shape the dough after it has doubled in size during bulk fermentation, then place it in the fridge overnight. This helps the dough expand evenly during baking.
Basket – For a smooth surface on your dough, use a round wood pulp proofing basket. If you have a rattan basket, use a liner or tea towel to prevent unwanted ridges from forming.
Tools
Before baking, gather your tools and make sure the dough is ready.
Dough: The dough should be shaped and rested after its final proof. We recommend chilling the dough (you can even pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes). This will help prevent it from spreading or deflating too much while arranging the twine and scoring.
Flour: To achieve a striking contrast in the scored design on your baked loaf, dust the top of the dough with rice flour just before scoring. For a more realistic pumpkin effect, consider adding a small amount of natural food colouring to the rice flour or dust the dough with turmeric instead.
Sifter: For an even application of flour, use a sifter. We actually re-purposed our tea strainer for all flour dusting and would recommend the stainless steal mesh twisting ball type with a handle.
Pastry brush: The brush will be handy to remove any excess dry flour from the surface of the dough.
Twine: To create the pumpkin shape, I recommend using kitchen or butcher’s twine. Cut three or four equal-length pieces of twine, ensuring they’re long enough to wrap around the dough and tie a knot at the top. To prevent the twine from sticking to the dough, soak it in oil and then coat it with some rice flour.
Dutch Oven or Baking Stone: Depending on your method, have your Dutch Oven or Baking Stone pre-heated and ready to use.
In the next section we will guide you through the process step-by-step. The main point here is to have fun and enjoy the experience!
To see these steps in practice, take a look at our video tutorial.
Recipe Step-By-Step
For this article, the bread was made using 90% white bread flour and 10% whole grain flour, with 72% hydration. As we mentioned above, if you prefer, you can use your own sourdough bread recipe, with different ratios of flour and water.
Ingredients
Yields 2 loaves
140g active starter/levain (we used 100% whole grain)
630g strong white flour (about 13% protein content)
70g whole wheat flour (about 13% protein content)
515g water (+10g)
14g salt
Steps
STEP 1 | Autolyse
In a large bowl, combine the flour with 515g water and knead until there is no dry flour left. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
STEP 2 | Add starter/levain
Add 140g active starter/levain and knead until fully incorporated. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 min.
STEP 3 | Add salt
Add 14g salt and 10g water and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and supple. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 min.
STEP 4 | Bulk fermentation
Perform one stretch and fold, rest the dough for 30 min, then perform four sets of coil folds, each 30 min apart.
Once you complete the last coil fold, cover the bowl and wait until the dough increases in volume by about 100%.
STEP 5 | Pre-shape
Transfer the dough onto a work surface, cut it in half with a bench scraper and pre-shape each part into a round. Cover with a towel and let the dough rest for 30 min.
STEP 6 | Shape & cold proof
After the 30-minute bench rest, shape the dough and transfer to the proofing baskets. Cover with a towel and let the dough rest for about 12 hours in the fridge.
STEP 7 | Arrange the Twine
Once the dough is ready for baking, remove it from the fridge, but keep it in the basket for now. Place each piece of twine diagonally across the centre of the dough. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on top and gently flip the dough onto a work surface.
Using a pastry brush, remove any excess dry flour from the surface of the dough. Then, using a sifter, lightly dust the top with rice flour. Smooth it over if necessary.
Next, tie the strings in a knot at the center of the dough. Don’t tie the twine too tightly—leave room for the dough to expand during baking! Adjust the strings to ensure each triangle is roughly the same size.
STEP 8 | Score the Dough
Score the dough as desired. You can experiment with smaller cuts or deeper ones, making each segment the same design or trying different patterns. Imagine how the bread will look when the strings expand to create the pumpkin shape.
Be swift with the scoring so that the dough doesn’t spread too much and the segments remain symmetrical.
STEP 9 | Bake the Bread
Carefully place the dough into your baking dish or on the baking stone. To ensure the twine stays intact, keep the dough flat when transferring it to the dish or stone. Cover with a lid (if using a dish) and place the dough into the preheated oven.
Bake for 25 minutes at 250°C/480°F, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes at 230°C/450°F.
Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and repeat with the second loaf. Allow both loaves to cool completely on a wire rack, then carefully remove the twine.
If you have any questions, leave a comment below.
Happy baking! 👩🏻🍳🌾🤍
If you require more detailed recipe instructions, refer to our Beginner’s Sourdough Recipe.
And if you haven’t baked sourdough bread before, or need more guidance, check our New To Sourdough Baking section, where you can find details such as how to make your starter from scratch or the tools required to bake your first loaf of bread (including some of the tools we personally recommend).
Below are some other example of how you can decorate your pumpkin-shaped sourdough bread. And there is plenty more on our YouTube channel—subscribe to stay in the loop!
What’s Next?
Stencils can be a great way to transform your sourdough bread into a beautiful centrepiece. Our Sourdough Fever stencils are easy to use and will add a special touch to your loaves. Visit our store to see the full range.
If you’d like to change the ratio of white and whole grain flour and increase hydration, we have a second recipe that we used for a pumpkin-shaped bread on our website - check it out here!
We also highly recommend keeping a record of your process, timings, ingredients and techniques. Our Sourdough Fever Record Keeping PDFs will help you do all that and more. This 4-page PDF includes a record-keeping page, a basic sourdough recipe with instructions, and troubleshooting notes. You can download and print it at home. Click the photo below to find out more!
