How to Make Pumpkin Shaped Sourdough Bread

Updated Oct 12, 2025

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Have you seen sourdough boules shaped as a pumpkin? They are beautiful and perfect to gift to a friend or family member during the fall season. This guide will walk you step-by-step through the process of How to make pumpkin-shaped sourdough bread.

I love the look of these pumpkin-shaped sourdough boules, so I’m sharing my best tips for making your own, just in time for fall baking! How gorgeous would they look on a Thanksgiving table?!

Two pumpkin shaped sourdough boulees sit on a wooden board with a cinnamon sticks sticking out of the top.

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Why You’ll Love Pumpkin-Shaped Sourdough Bread
Important Items
How to Make Pumpkin Shaped Sourdough Bread
How to Store Leftovers
Amy’s Recipe Tip
Frequently Asked Questions
More Fall Baking Ideas

Why You’ll Love Pumpkin-Shaped Sourdough Bread

Festive: Turning your boule into a pumpkin shape is a great way to turn any loaf of bread into a seasonal fall delight. Make it doubly festive by making a loaf of Pumpkin Artisan Bread into a pumpkin shape.
Perfect Gift: Mini loaves of pumpkin-shaped bread would make the cutest fall-themed gift. And be sure to grab some of my free printable labels for gifting sourdough for the perfect finishing touch.
Easy: You can turn any round loaf into a pumpkin shape, and it is a quick and easy modification! Check out all of my artisan sourdough bread recipes and choose your favorite loaf.

Important Items

Bread Dough: A pumpkin shape can be made out of any sourdough boule or even bread dough, like these pumpkin-shaped rolls!) I like using my classic artisan sourdough bread recipe, easy no-knead sourdough version, or this delicious pumpkin artisan sourdough bread.
Bakers Twine: Other than your bread dough, the only special equipment you will need is bakers twine to tie around the dough.
Cinnamon Sticks: This optional finishing touch makes your pumpkin shaped boule into an even cuter pumpkin!

How to Make Pumpkin Shaped Sourdough Bread

Prepare Your Dough

A round shaped ball of pumpkin sourdough dough sits in a banneton basket.

Step 1: Prepare your sourdough bread according to the recipe. You can use this technique of shaping your boule into a pumpkin with any artisan sourdough bread recipe. For the easiest shaping, place the boule in the refrigerator for a cold ferment prior to shaping into a pumpkin shape.

Note: Boule is French for a round-shaped loaf. You can turn any boule into a pumpkin shape. Make your bread dough according to the recipe. I like using my artisan bread recipe, easy no-knead version, or this delicious pumpkin artisan sourdough bread. Pumpkin-shaped boule rolls are also a cute option.

Shape Your dough

Four pieces of twine have been placed so that they intersect evenly.

Step 2: Place 4 long strips of bakers’ twine across parchment paper or a reusable bread mat. You can lightly coat the strings in vegetable oil to help prevent them from sticking to the dough if desired.

Hands place a round ball of dough on the center of the prepared pieces of twine.

Step 3: Turn the chilled, fermented dough out on top of the center of the baker’s twine. Try to center the dough so the middle hits where the 4 pieces of twine intersect.

Hands tie twine around a round ball of dough.

Step 4: Pull the pieces of twine up and tie them into a firm but not too tight knot. Repeat until all four pieces of twine are tied.

A round ball of dough has four pieces of twine tied around it to create eight sections.

Step 5: Lightly flour the top of the loaf. Score each of the eight sections using a bread lame.

An overhead view shows a boule tied with four pieces of twine and lines where a bread lame has scored each of the eight sections.

Bake your Boule Pumpkin

A pumpkin shaped boule bakes in a Dutch oven with twine tied around it, creating the pumpkin shape as the dough expands.

Step 6: Bake according to recipe directions. Once the loaf is baked through, let cool before cutting the twine and pulling it off the bread dough.

A pumpkin shaped boule dusted with flour and with a cinnamon stick stem sits on a wooden board.

Step 7: Place a cinnamon stick in the center of the loaf if desired! Enjoy!

How to Store Leftovers

After slicing your pumpkin-shaped sourdough boule, you can store it according to the directions in the sourdough bread recipe you used.

Amy’s Recipe Tip

Shaping your pumpkin bread will be easiest after a cold bulk fermentation. Shape your dough immediately after taking it out of the refrigerator and bake immediately for best results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the string impact how high the dough will rise?

If you tie the string too tightly, the loaf will grow around the string and be harder to remove when baked. It shouldn’t affect the rise too much, but may bake up a little smaller than loaves that have a large score to increase their oven spring.

The string got stuck to the dough – what do i do?

This can happen with certain types of string. Choose a string that is food safe and has fewer fuzzy fibers. You can lightly coat the string with vegetable oil to help prevent it from sticking to the bread dough. Waiting for the bread to cool before cutting off the strings also helps.

Do I have to use a cinnamon stick?

No. You don’t have to. I think it adds a little extra flair and looks beautiful. You can purchase cinnamon sticks here.

What bread lame do you recommend?

I love the knead ace bread lames. If you already have a great lame, make sure to replace your razor blade frequently for the best score.