This Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread is a soft pumpkin sandwich loaf, with real pumpkin puree, a perfect cinnamon swirl, and cozy fall flavor in every slice.
Build the Levain:In a clean jar, mix the sourdough starter, bread flour, and water.Cover and set in a warm location (between 75-80ºF) for about five hours until it is at least doubled and bubbly.Alternatively, skip this step and mix 120g of active sourdough starter into your dough.
Mix the Dough:Scald the milk in a small saucepan until just about boiling and pour into the bowl of your stand mixer bowl. Let cool to just warm or room temperature.Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and all of levain to the bowl with the cooled milk and mix. Then, mix in the bread flour, sugar, and salt.Mix on low speed for a few minutes until the flour is incorporated and the dough comes together into a mass.Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes to further hydrate.
Add the Butter and Mix:Slice the room-temperature butter into pieces and while continuing to mix the dough on medium speed, add one piece of softened butter to the bowl at a time until each piece is fully incorporated into the dough.Continue to mix the dough for 10-15 more minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test, is smooth, tacky, and easily slides off of the dough hook.
56 grams Unsalted Butter
Bulk Fermentation:Transfer the dough to a medium bowl, cover, and place it in a warm location for bulk fermentation. At 78ºF, bulk fermentation takes about 6 hours (longer if cooler).Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough is doubled, domed in the bowl, and smooth.
Overnight Proof:Cover the bowl and place it into a refrigerator to proof overnight and up to 48 hours.
Make the Cinnamon Swirl Filling:The next day, butter or grease your bread loaf pan, beat an egg in a small bowl, and set both aside.In a small bowl, mix together the dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Set aside.
75 grams Dark Brown Sugar, 8 grams Ground Cinnamon, 8 grams Bread Flour, 1 Egg
Shape:Turn out the cold dough onto a clean surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a rectangular slab about 12x18".Brush egg wash on the surface of the dough and reserve the rest for brushing on before baking.Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling over the surface of the dough to the edges and pat it down to the surface so it adheres to the egg wash..Carefully roll up the dough from a short side into a log. Try to roll it tightly and evenly. Remember that the start of the roll will be the middle of the loaf.
Final Proof:Place the log seam-side down in the bread loaf pan and cover for the final proof.At 78ºF, the final proof takes about 3.5-4 hours. The bread is finished proofing when it's almost doubled in size, puffy, and near the top of the pan. If you poke the bread with a floured finger, it should leave a slight indentation and feel full of air.
Bake:Preheat the oven to 375ºF (191ºC). Brush the top of the bread with the reserved egg wash.Bake on a sheet pan for 40-45 minutes until the top browns and the internal dough temperature reads 200ºF (93ºC).Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan to finish cooling for at least an hour on the wire rack before slicing.
Notes
Try to keep the dough at a constant, warm temperature (between 75-80ºF) as much as possible throughout fermentation. I use the Brød and Taylor bread proofer to keep my dough at a constant 78ºF. If your dough and environment are cooler, bulk fermentation will take longer. Conversely, in warmer conditions, the dough will ferment faster.
View my guide above for more detailed instructions, including photos of each recipe step, FAQs, and baker's percentage chart to scale the recipe up or down.
Tried this recipe?Rate the recipe above, comment, and share @sourdoughbrandon on Instagram & Facebook