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Best Easy Brown Butter Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

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This brown butter pumpkin sourdough bread combines nutty brown butter, sweet pumpkin, and tangy sourdough for a deeply flavorful loaf with a shatteringly crisp crust and soft, tender crumb. It’s a simplified sourdough recipe perfect for fall baking that fills your kitchen with an incredible aroma.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 100 grams (about ½ cup) active sourdough starter
  • 200 grams (about ¾ cup) pumpkin puree
  • 450 grams (about 3 ¾ cups) bread flour
  • 50 grams (about ⅓ cup) whole wheat flour
  • 200 grams (about ¾ cup) water, room temperature
  • 50 grams (about ¼ cup) granulated sugar
  • 9 grams (about 1 ½ teaspoons) fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter: Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt completely, then swirl occasionally. After 3-4 minutes, when milk solids turn deep amber and butter smells nutty, remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
  2. Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine cooled brown butter, pumpkin puree, water, and active sourdough starter. Whisk until smooth. Add bread flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, and salt. Mix with a spatula or hands until no dry flour remains. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
  3. Bulk fermentation with stretch and folds: Wet hands slightly. Grab one side of dough, stretch up, and fold over top. Rotate bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do 4 stretches total (one round). Cover and rest 30 minutes. Repeat stretch and fold process 3 more times with 30-minute rests. After fourth round, let ferment undisturbed for 1-2 hours until dough is smooth, puffy, and has visible bubbles.
  4. Pre-shape and bench rest: Lightly flour work surface. Gently turn out dough. Divide in half for two smaller loaves or leave whole. Shape into a round by tucking edges under. Let rest uncovered for 20 minutes.
  5. Final shape: Gently flatten dough into a rectangle. Fold top third down and bottom third up like a letter. Pinch seams. Using hands, pull dough toward you in a circular motion to create surface tension. Place seam-side up in a floured banneton or lined bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8-12 hours).
  6. Bake: Place Dutch oven in oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for 30 minutes. Carefully remove hot Dutch oven. Turn cold dough onto parchment paper. Score top with a sharp lame or knife. Use parchment to lower dough into Dutch oven. Cover and bake 25 minutes. Remove lid, reduce oven temperature to 450°F (230°C), and bake 20-25 minutes more until crust is deep amber and internal temperature reaches 200°F (93°C). Cool completely on wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Notes

Don’t skip browning the butter—it’s the heart of the recipe. Bring pumpkin to room temperature before mixing. For an even crispier crust, leave bread in oven with door cracked open for 10 minutes after baking. Flavor deepens on the second day. Store cut-side down at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter pumpkin sourdough, pumpkin sourdough bread, fall sourdough recipe, easy sourdough bread, pumpkin bread, sourdough bread recipe

Find it online: https://milacook.com/best-easy-brown-butter-pumpkin-sourdough-bread/