Spooky BreakfastsNo. 1204 · The 2026 edition
How to make pumpkin-shaped sourdough bread
Turn your sourdough into a festive pumpkin-shaped bread with this easy recipe!
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at kingarthurbaking.com.
This recipe guides you through making a visually stunning pumpkin-shaped sourdough bread. The dough is shaped and tied with twine to create ridges, then baked in a Dutch oven for a crispy crust. Perfect for fall gatherings or Halloween.
Ingredients
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- banneton
- kitchen twine
Directions
- Combine the bread flour, water, active sourdough starter, and salt, stirring until all the flour is incorporated. Allow the mixture to sit for half an hour.
- Over the next two hours, do a set of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals.
- Let the dough undergo bulk fermentation at ambient temperature, waiting until it has doubled in volume, which typically takes four to six hours.
- Form the dough into a ball, then wrap kitchen twine around it to produce the pumpkin-like ridges.
- Transfer the shaped dough to a banneton, cover it, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- Set your oven to 450°F and place a Dutch oven inside to heat up.
- Slash the top of the dough, then bake with the lid on for 20 minutes, followed by 20 minutes without the lid.
More photos
Photos hosted by kingarthurbaking.com.
