Made with sourdough discard, this pumpkin sourdough bread has a rich, buttery crumb and big, spicy pumpkin flavor you’ll be craving all season.
New to sourdough? Start Here! How To Feed Sourdough Starter Beginners Guide Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners (Artisan Loaf)
Fall means pumpkin at my house, and this bread is one of my favorites. It’s soft, buttery, and full of warm spice, and it’s an easy way to use up sourdough discard without waiting on a long rise.
Mix it up, pour it into the pans, and you’ll have fresh pumpkin bread in about an hour. Honestly, I love this one so much that I sneak it into spring and summer too, whenever I think I can get away with it.
What Makes This the Best Sourdough Pumpkin Bread Recipe
- It’s based on a classic. Adapted from Libby’s vintage pumpkin bread recipe, the one made with butter instead of oil. And there is a little extra spice because it’s SO good that way!
- Butter makes the difference. It gives this loaf rich flavor and a tender, moist crumb oil just can’t match.
- It’s an easy way to use discard. All that classic flavor, plus a good excuse to use up what’s sitting in your fridge.
- More pumpkin, less flour. A lot of pumpkin bread recipes pile on flour to get that tall domed top. This one doesn’t, so the rich pumpkin spice flavor really comes through in every tender, buttery bite instead of getting buried.
How to Make Pumpkin Sourdough Bread
This one comes together in two bowls, no stand mixer required. Grab a whisk and combine the dry ingredients first: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and the spices. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.
Mix in the pumpkin puree and sourdough discard next, and don’t panic if the batter looks a little separated or curdled at this point. That’s totally normal.
Fold in the dry ingredients just until the streaks of flour disappear, then divide the batter between two greased USA Pan loaf pans. I love these because they’re high quality and bake really evenly, which makes for a much better loaf. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Pan Sizes and Muffin Variations
This recipe is written for two 9×4-inch loaf pans, but it’s flexible. If you’re using 8×4-inch pans instead, bake for 60 to 65 minutes instead of 50 to 55.
You can also turn this batter into muffins. Fill each muffin cup with about 4 tablespoons of batter (a size 16 portion scoop, or roughly ¼ cup, is perfect), and bake for 28 to 30 minutes. This makes 24 to 25 muffins.
How to Store Pumpkin Sourdough Bread
Store the bread in a tightly sealed container at room temperature. If it’s glazed, keep it in the fridge instead, since the cream cheese glaze needs to stay cool.
To freeze it, wrap the loaf tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. (If you want to freeze it don’t glaze it until after you thaw the loaf.)
I always try to keep one on hand. It’s perfect to pull out and thaw for road trips, camping trips, or a fast breakfast on a busy morning, and it’s a lifesaver when extra kids show up wanting a snack.
FAQ: Can Dogs Eat Pumpkin Bread?
FAQ: Can I Use Fresh Pumpkin Instead of Canned?
Yes, as long as you use a pie pumpkin (also called a sugar pumpkin) and cook it down properly. Skip carving pumpkins entirely. They’re bred for size and shape, not flavor, and they’re stringier and more watery than pie pumpkins. For the full method on cooking down fresh pumpkin, check out my pumpkin puree recipe. Once it’s cooked down and drained, weigh it out to 411g so it matches the consistency of canned.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- 15 Minute Microwave Pumpkin Butter
- Easy Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
- Boozy Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Pumpkin Sourdough Bread: Easy Discard Recipe, No Long Rise
Ingredients
To Make the Pumpkin Bread
- 206 g cups all-purpose flour about 1 1/2 cups
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 cup salted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon real vanilla extract
- 240 g sourdough discard unfed, room temperature is best
- 14.5oz can 100% pure pumpkin 411g
To Make the Cream Cheese Glaze (Optional)
- 4 oz cream cheese softened (brick style, not from a tub)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk or heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt about 1/16th teaspoon
Instructions
To Make the Pumpkin Bread:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Butter or use nonstick spray to grease two 9×4-inch loaf pans. (See Notes for different baking pan options.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.
- In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating for another minute.
- Mix in the pumpkin puree and the sourdough discard on medium speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom to get anything stuck to the bottom. Don’t worry if the mixture looks a bit separated or curdled at this point. That is normal.
- Mix in the flour mixture on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is fully incorporated. Divide the batter into the prepared pans (about 760g of batter per pan).
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pans for 15 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
- When fully cool, make the glaze, if using.
- Store bread in a tightly sealed container. If it is glazed, store in the fridge.
- Freezing Directions: If freezing, don't glaze until after thawing. Wrap tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
To Make the Cream Cheese Glaze: (Optional)
- Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt together until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled loaves.
Helpful Recipe Notes
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Nutrition Estimate
A Note on Nutrition
Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.
New to sourdough? Start Here! How To Feed Sourdough Starter Beginners Guide Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners (Artisan Loaf)
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