Overnight Sesame Pumpkin Sourdough Bread – Recipe

My overnight sesame pumpkin sourdough bread is the perfect way to end October's pumpkin run, I think.

This is an easy sourdough recipe because you pretty much just add everything to the bowl and mix – no kneading necessary. The hardest part is the waiting, really: you have to wait three lots of 30 minutes between shaping the dough, and then overnight for the dough to proof fully before you bake it. I've tried skipping shaping sessions but it doesn't work, unfortunately – you have to be patient.

I've had my sourdough starter for almost three years now, but you can make yours from scratch by mixing 50g white flour, 50g wholemeal flour and 100ml water together in a container, covering it and letting it ferment for a day or two until it's bubbling (which is then when you can start 'feeding' it with more equal amounts of flour and water to keep it going).

Need visuals? Check out my making-of recipe video on YouTube:

Ready? Let's go.

Ingredients:

55g sourdough starter (see above)
115ml water
5g salt
90g pumpkin purée
30g wholemeal bread flour
250g strong white flour
Handful of sesame seeds

Method:

1. Stir the sourdough starter and water together until well combined. Stir in the pumpkin and salt, and then all of the dry ingredients, switching to your hands to mix it into a dough.

2. Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured surface. Shape it by stretching it with your hands, folding the stretched flaps into the middle, turning it 90° and stretching and folding again. If you feel it's still stretchy enough, turn it 90° and stretch and fold it a third time. Turn the dough upside-down so the folded seam is at the bottom, cover lightly with clingfilm, and rest for 30 minutes.

3. Shape again using the same method above, cover and wait another 30 minutes.

4. Shape again, cover and wait yet another 30 minutes.

5. Shape again, but this time after you turn the dough upside down, shape it into a ball. Pop it in a floured, muslin-lined bowl or proofing basket (also known as a banneton), cover with clingfilm and leave it overnight at room temperature.

6. The next morning, preheat the oven to 250°C. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of baking paper, and score with a sharp knife or bread razor (also known as a lame) to let the bread expand.

7. Lift the bread on the baking paper into a casserole dish, cover and bake for 20 minutes. Take the lid off, and bake for a further 10 minutes to get a crunchy crust.

8. Cool the bread on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

Enjoy, and have fun.