3D Pumpkin Boule

“This was so fun to make! And it looks adorable! ”

I would love more FREE recipes and tips straight to my IN BOX!

I love pumpkin, so of course I enjoyed eating this loaf! But I had just. as much fun making it. It was so cute and really not difficult to do. If you can tie a knot in a piece of string or score a wheat stalk, you too can make this adorable creation!

3D pumpkin boule, maple pecan, sourdough living

Prep Time: 40 hours (from building levain to final baked loaf

Bulk Ferment Time: 4-6 hours depending on temperature and humidity

Cook Time: 35 min

Ingredients

For the Levain (Make the night before):

25 g Ripe Starter
55 g Warm Filtered Water
50 g Bread Flour

For the Loaf:

105 g Whole Wheat Flour
383 g Bread Flour
370 g Filtered Water
125 g Prepared Levain (all of it)
16 g Kosher Salt

Add In:

60 g Pumpkin Puree, (1/4 cup)
15 g Maple Syrup, (1 Tbsp)
5 g Pumpkin Spice, (1 tsp)

Laminate In:

27 g Pecans, chopped (1/4 cup)
Additional Pumpkin Spice (for dusting laminated dough)

After Baking:

1 Cinnamon Stick, (for stem)

For the Maple Butter, Stir together:

57 g Butter, softened (1/4 cup)
15 g Maple Syrup, (1 Tbsp)

Preparation Steps

1. Prepare the levain the night before you plan to mix the dough.

2. Autolyse flour with water for 1-2 hours in the morning.

3. Add the levain and mix for 5 minutes. Then hand kneed in the salt until you can’t feel the grains. Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup and pumpkin spice. Hand kneed again until well incorporated. (about 5 minutes) The dough will be quite runny at this point. Rest 30 minutes.

4. Do one set of stretch and folds (4 pulls total). Rest 30 minutes.

5. Wet your countertop and hands to prevent the dough from sticking. Laminate the dough by spreading it into a rectangle about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick with your hands. Add the chopped pecans and dust liberally with pumpkin spice. Press the pecans into the dough. Fold in thirds and roll it up. Rest 30 minutes.

6. Do coil fold #1. Rest 45 minutes to an hour.

7. Do coil fold #2. Rest 45 minutes to an hour.

8. Do coil fold #3. Let it proof for 2-3 more hours. Be sure to take the temperature of your dough. (Then follow the % rise as suggested by The Sourdough Journey.)

9. Shape the dough into a boule. Let it proof at room temperature for 20 minutes. Transport your shaped dough to the proofing basket, putting the nice top face-down in the basket as usual.

10. Store overnight in the refrigerator for 12-18 hours.

11. In the morning, preheat your oven to 500º F with your Dutch Oven or clay baker inside your oven.

12. Once the oven is preheated, it's time to shape and score your pumpkin. Cut 4 strands of baker's twine, each 21" long. Lay the strings across your Bread Mat (or parchment sheet) to divide the boule into 8 equal parts. Place a circle of parchment on top of the strings to keep the strings from getting baked into your loaf. Flip your boule out onto the circle of parchment paper, so the nice side is once again face-up. Dust your boule with Thai rice flour, then tie the four strings loosely across your boule to make an 8-sectioned pumpkin. Be careful not to tie the strings too tight as your loaf will expand in the oven and you don't want the strings to get baked into your bread. Score wheat stalks in each of the 8 divisions of your pumpkin. Place your pumpkin in a Dutch Oven or clay baker.

sourdough living, sourdough pumpkin tying, Bread Mat, parchment sheet

sourdough living, 3d Pumpkin boule, scored

13. Bake for 18 minutes at 500º F, covered.

14. Bake for 12 minutes at 450º F, covered.

15. Remove the lid. Bake an additional 4 minutes at 450º F uncovered. Internal temperature of your loaf should be 200º F. Cool for 10 minutes, then snip and remove the baker's twine. Once the pumpkin has fully cooled, insert a cinnamon stick in the center for a stem.

16. Serve warm with maple butter.

sourdough living, 3D pumpkin boule, baked, cut

NOTE: Alternate Baking Methods: (If you don’t own a Dutch Oven:)

Option #1: Preheat your oven to 500º F. Put a cast iron pan with pie weights on the bottom shelf of your oven. Just before baking, fill the skillet with cold water and turn the oven down to 475º F.

Bake your bread on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 475º F for 20 min and 425º F for 10-15 minutes or until internal temperature of 200º F is reached.

Option #2: Add a shallow roasting pan to the bottom of your oven while preheating, and as you put your bread in you can do either of these:

Add water to it. This give a burst of steam to your bread.
Add ice cubes to it. This will release steam quickly.
Place some wet, rolled up tea towels into it. This will give a steady stream of steam (WARNING: make sure they are 100% cotton!)

This original recipe is from The Art of Sourdough Scoring. This recipe has been modified in the preparation techniques to simplify how the pumpkin is tied and to keep the strings from getting as baked in to your loaf.

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