November is the perfect time for baking pumpkin-shaped sourdough bread—it never fails to impress, and achieving it isn't too challenging. This particular scoring pattern for the pumpkin shape happens to be one of my all-time favorites.

The recipe is provided below for this specific bread, but pumpkin-shaped bread will work with different flour ratios and hydration levels, so experiment and have fun with it.

Here are the steps to achieve the pumpkin shape:

1. Remove the dough from the fridge, but keep it in the basket (for now)

2. Cut three equal-length pieces of kitchen twine (butchers twine)

3. Coat the twine with some rice flour before use (this is to prevent the string from sticking to the dough too much)

4. Place each string diagonally, across the centre of the dough

5. Then place the baking mat or parchment paper on top and flip the dough

6. Tie the strings in a knot in the centre of the dough, don’t go too tight

7. Re-adjust the strings to make sure each of the triangles are roughly the same size

8. Score the pattern

9. Bake immediately after you’re done with the design

Check the video of the process on our YouTube channel.

Ingredients

Yields 2 loaves

140g active starter/levain

420g strong white flour

280g whole wheat flour

550g water (+10g)

14g salt

Steps

STEP 1 | Autolyse

In a large bowl, combine the flour with 550g water and knead until there is no dry flour left. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

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 80%-90%.

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 | Score & bake

The next morning, score the dough, transfer to your baking dish, cover with the lid and place in the 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, repeat with the second loaf.

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).

What’s Next?

Transform your sourdough bread with our stencils. They are easy to use and will add a unique touch to your loaves. Visit our store to see the full range.

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!