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Soft and savory, this Pumpkin Sourdough Focaccia Bread is the perfect blend of flavors and texture. With fresh herbs and canned pumpkin mixed into the focaccia dough, this is a unique twist on traditional sourdough focaccia bread. This super soft pumpkin focaccia dough is baked in olive oil, topped with aromatic herbs and flaky sea salt and baked until crispy and golden, similar to my roasted garlic rosemary sourdough focaccia, but with pumpkin. If you love savory bakes, you’re going to love this one!
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Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Sourdough Focaccia
- Savory Pumpkin: You’ll love how this sourdough focaccia recipe incorporates pumpkin in a savory way. If you are looking for a sweeter pumpkin sourdough focaccia, then try this recipe instead.
- Aromatic Herbs: You’ll love the way savory herbs work together with the pumpkin to create an aromatic loaf with a delicious flavor.
- Pumpkin: Incorporating pumpkin into this sourdough focaccia makes for a soft texture inside, but crispy edges. You’ll love this savory fall focaccia that’s based off my incredible regular focaccia recipe.
Sourdough Baker’s Timeline
A sample baking schedule helps me when baking with sourdough. I’ve been baking sourdough for over a decade and this schedule helps me plan my bake. Please Note: This schedule assumes the dough temperature is 78-80ºF throughout the process.
| Day 1 | Mix Levain |
| 8:00 PM- 8:00 AM | Mix Levain. Let sit at 78º F for about 10-12 hours until doubled/bubbly and ripe. Note: Ripe, bubbly, active sourdough starter can be substituted for levain in this recipe. |
| Day 2 | Mixing/Bulk Fermentation/Shaping/Baking |
| 9:00 AM | Mix together dough Begin Bulk Fermentation |
| 9:30 AM | Coil Fold #1 |
| 10:00 AM | Coil Fold #2 |
| 10:30 AM | Coil Fold #3 |
| 11:00 AM | Coil Fold #4 |
| 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Finish Bulk Fermentation |
| 1:00 PM | Place dough in pan with olive oil and cover Optional Overnight Refrigeration |
| 1:00 PM -5:00 PM | Let dough rise in a warm 78-80º F place until the dough is doubled, airy, light and jiggly. Top with more oil, chopped herbs and flaky salt. Do not bake unless the dough is puffed up and aerated. |
| 5:00 PM | Bake |
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough Starter: Use an active/ripe sourdough starter (doubled in size/bubbly/mild sour aroma) to mix the levain.
- Pumpkin Puree: Make sure you are using pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling in the dough of this recipe. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar which we don’t want in this savory version.
- Bread Flour: Use a bread flour with 12.5% protein content. The amount of water in this recipe necessitates a flour high in protein content. If you don’t have bread flour and substitute all purpose, you will need to reduce some of the water in the recipe.
- Salt: Salt helps temper fermentation and enhances the flavor of the focaccia.
- Herbs: A blend of chopped rosemary, ground sage or poultry seasoning and chopped oregano combine for a delicious and aromatic loaf.
- Olive Oil: Light tasting olive oil gets the delicious crispy crust on this focaccia.
How to Make Pumpkin Sourdough Focaccia
Mix the Levain
1:10:10 levain (ready in 10-12 hours/overnight): This recipe calls for levain mixed the night before you want to mix your dough. Prepare the levain and keep it overnight at 78-80ºF. It will be ready in approximately 10-12 hours (overnight). Mix together:
- 5 grams of ripe/mature sourdough starter
- 55 grams water
- 55 grams all purpose or bread flour
Note: To make it a true 1:10:10 ratio, it would be 5.5 grams of ripe/mature starter and 55 grams bread flour, 55 grams water. Chances are you are going to be somewhere in the ballpark of 5-6 grams of starter, and it will work out just fine. Sourdough doesn’t have to be exact – it’s a method of learning to read your dough and its readiness.
If you prefer to mix the levain the morning you mix the dough, you can mix a 1:1:1 Levain (ready in 3-4 hours/same day): It should take 3-4 hours to rise and peak if kept at 78-80ºF. Levain is ready when it has at least doubled in size, has lots of bubbles, a slightly sour aroma and is just about to start going down from its peak height. Mix together:
- 35 grams all purpose or bread flour
- 35 grams ripe/mature starter
- 35 grams warm water
Do you have to use a levain in this recipe? No. I prefer it, but if you have a well-maintained and frequently refreshed starter that is large enough, you can substitute that in place of the levain in the recipe.
Mix Dough and Begin Bulk Fermentation
Once the levain is ripe, bubbly and at least doubled in size, it’s time to mix the dough. Add the ripe levain, water, canned pumpkin, rosemary, poultry seasoning (or ground sage), salt and bread flour to a bowl. Mix together with a dough whisk or your fingers until a sticky dough forms. Remember, this is a higher hydration recipe, so it’s going to be fairly sticky. It is also a dough that rises in a pan and doesn’t need a whole lot of extra strengthening. A quick mix is really all it needs as we let the gluten strands form through the long fermentation process. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Coil Folds: Over the course of the next 2 hours, perform sets of “coil folds”. Coil folds are a way of aligning gluten stands in high hydration dough instead of kneading it. To perform a coil fold, wet your hands with water. Place your hands under the middle of the dough and pull up. The dough will stretch up (but should not tear) and release from the bottom of the bowl. Once the dough releases, let the dough fall back under itself. Repeat the process for both sides of dough. Then turn the container and repeat the coil fold. Watch a video of the coil fold process here. Perform 4-6 coil folds. The dough will be very sticky for the first set of coil folds, but will strengthen over time. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. You will repeat this process a total of 4 times over a 2 hour period.
After you have completed 4 sets of coil folds over a 2 hour period, cover and let sourdough pumpkin focaccia dough rest at 78ºF for 2.5-3 more hours until the dough has risen about 50-60% in the bowl.
Shaping Dough
When your focaccia dough is done resting, prepare a pan by lining a 12 inch round or 9 by 13 metal baking pan with parchment paper. Pour 40 grams light-flavored olive oil in the pan. Tip the pan around to coat the entire bottom of the parchment paper.
Turn the dough out into the pan and stretch slowly to fill the edges of the pan. If it doesn’t want to stretch, let the dough rest for a minute and then try again. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil (1-2 Tbsp, 20 grams) on top of the dough and cover with plastic wrap to proof.
Cold Ferment and Proofing
At this point you can cover the dough and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours before proceeding with a second proof and baking if desired.
Place the dough in a warm spot (78-mid 80ºF) and let the dough rise until puffed up, aerated and jiggly. After about 3-5 hours, the dough should have doubled in size. The key to a light, airy and bubbly focaccia is letting the dough rise long enough to have large air bubbles in it. This will take more or less time depending on the temperature of your dough as it’s rising. If the dough doesn’t look like this, warm it up a little more and let it rise longer.
After the dough is puffed up, jiggly and aerated with air bubbles, gently spread the dough to reach the edges of the pan if it has not already filled the whole pan. Take your fingers and gently dimple the dough. Start at the top and work your way down the dough until the entire focaccia is dimpled and bubbly. Top with chopped fresh herbs and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Baking
Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF. Once the oven is pre-heated, bake the savory sourdough pumpkin focaccia for 25-30 minutes until bubbly, crispy and light golden brown on top and the baked focaccia registers 200ºF. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Amy’s Recipe Tip
For extra golden color in this loaf, add 1 teaspoon ground turmeric to the dough. This enhances the color but doesn’t change the flavor.
Substitutions
- Pumpkin Puree: Homemade pumpkin puree has a lot more liquid than canned pumpkin. If you choose to use a homemade version, blot it and strain it as much as possible. Leave out some of the water when mixing and add the water back in as needed.
- Fresh Herbs: Substitute any favorite fresh herbs in this recipe. Dried herbs also work inside the focaccia bread. You could also leave the herbs out completely if desired.
- Sourdough Starter: In place of the levain in this recipe you can substitute ripe, bubbly and active sourdough starter if desired.
How to Store Leftovers
Sourdough focaccia bread can be left out for 24 hours. After that stick in an airtight container and freeze for up to a couple months. Warm it up before serving.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Make sure you’re use a good quality non-stick metal pan. USA pans are my go-to for focaccia bread. I love the 9 by 13 pan and the 12 inch round for focaccia. A 10-12 inch cast iron skillet also works well. If your pan is not non-stick, try adding some parchment paper to the bottom of your pan. Top the parchment with the olive oil/butter. Then put the focaccia dough on top.
This is a savory pumpkin sourdough focaccia recipe. It does not have the spices of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice that we often associate with pumpkin flavor. Instead the pumpkin is used for color and texture and a little bit of flavor that is enhanced with the fresh herbs. If you want a more pumpkin-forward focaccia, check out my sweet pumpkin sourdough focaccia bread.
This can happen from uneven baking and not using the right pan. Make sure you use a metal, non-stick pan and increase the baking time (and maybe temperature depending on your oven) a little.
Pumpkin Sourdough Focaccia
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Equipment
- 9 by 13 metal pan or 12 inch round metal pan
Ingredients
Levain (1:10:10, overnight ready in about 10-12 hours at 78ºF)
- 5 grams sourdough starter, ripe, bubbly and active, about 1 teaspoon
- 55 grams all-purpose or bread flour, scant 1/2 cup
- 55 grams water, about 1/4 cup
Savory Sourdough Pumpkin Focaccia
- 100 grams levain, ripe, bubbly and active, scant 1/2 cup
- 150 grams canned pumpkin, see recipe notes, about 2/3 cup
- 350 grams water, about 1 1/2 cups
- 10 grams salt, about 1.5 teaspoons
- 4 grams chopped rosemary, about 1 Tablespoon
- 2 grams poultry seasoning herb blend, or ground sage, about 1 teaspoon
- 500 grams bread flour, about 3 2/3 cups
- 60 grams olive oil, for the pan/topping, about 1/4 cup
- fresh chopped rosemary, for sprinkling
- fresh chopped sage or oregano or any favorite herb, for sprinkling
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
Levain (1:10:10, overnight ready in about 10-12 hours at 78ºF)
- Mix together 5 grams ripe sourdough starter with 55 grams water and 55 grams flour. Cover and let sit overnight at 78ºF until doubled in size, bubbly and active. You can also substitute 100 grams of bubbly sourdough starter if you prefer.
Pumpkin Sourdough Focaccia
- Mix: Mix together ripe, bubbly, active levain with canned pumpkin, water, salt, rosemary, poultry seasoning (or sage) and bread flour. Mix together with a dough whisk or spoon until a sticky dough forms. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Coil Fold # 1: Take the cover off the dough and perform 4-6 coil folds. The dough will be sticky for this first set of coil folds but will strengthen over time. Wet your hands with water. Place your hands under the middle of the dough and pull up. The dough will stretch up (but should not tear) and release from the bottom of the bowl. Once the dough releases, let the dough fall back under itself. Repeat the process for both sides of dough. Then turn the container and repeat the coil fold. Watch a video of the coil fold process here. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Coil Fold #2: Wet your hands. You will notice the dough is stronger than your first set of folds. Repeat the coil folds. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Coil Fold #3: Wet your hands. Repeat the sets of coil folds. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Coil Fold #4: Repeat the last set of coil folds. Cover and rest the dough at 78ºF for 1.5-2 hours until the dough has risen, is starting to dome and has a few scattered bubbles around the edges. Note, the dough will not double in size at this point, but it will rise 30-40% if kept around 78ºF.Note: Dough that is colder will need to rise longer to reach this stage. Warmer dough will progress faster.
- Prepare the Pan: After the long bulk rest, prepare a 9 by 13 metal baking pan with 40 grams (2-3 Tbsp) of the olive oil. Tip the pan around to coat the entire bottom of the pan. If your pan has issues with dough sticking add some parchment paper down before the oil.
- Stretch the Dough: Turn the dough out into the pan and stretch slowly to fill the edges of the pan. Pull up gently on the underside of the dough to stretch it into place. If it doesn't want to stretch, let the dough rest for a minute and then try again. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil (1-2 Tbsp, 20 grams) on top of the dough and cover with plastic wrap to proof. At this point you can cover the dough and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours before proceeding with a second proof and baking.
- Proof the Dough: Let the dough sit in a warm 78-80ºF place for 3-5 hours until doubled in size, puffed up and very airy. If the dough doesn't look like this, warm it up a little more and let it rise longer.
- Dimple the Dough: After the dough is puffed up, jiggly and aerated with air bubbles, pre-heat the oven to 425ºF. Take your fingers and gently dimple the dough. Start at the top and work your way down the dough until the entire focaccia is dimpled and bubbly. Top with chopped fresh herbs and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
- Bake Focaccia: Once the oven is pre-heated to 425ºF, bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly, crispy and light golden brown on top and the baked focaccia registers 200ºF. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
First time making sourdough focaccia and I was nervous with the wet dough, but I trusted the process and your tips and it turned out perfectly! Paired wonderfully with our dinner. I will definitely make again!
Thanks for the review! Glad you love it!
I love this savory pumpkin focaccia and my kids ate the whole thing! Not overly pumpkin-y in flavor but the pumpkin really shines through in the texture. I also liked adding the tumeric to make it a brighter shade of orange.
This was the first focaccia I ever made and it was delicious! Your recipe outlines the steps beautifully and I found I really enjoy working with this wetter dough. The bread disappeared despite being both pumpkin and rosemary, which I did not anticipate my kids being open to. I can’t wait to try all of your recipes!
Forgot the stars!
So glad you guys loved this one and that the steps were helpful. I appreciate your review.
Taste great though I don’t notice the pumpkin flavor. Tastes more like rosemary bread so might reduce the seasoning next time to try to have more pumpkin flavor. No one in my household is disappointed though, everyone loves it
Glad you enjoyed this. For a savory focaccia, the pumpkin itself doesn’t have much “pumpkin” flavor and provides more of the texture and color for the focaccia. If you want a more traditional pumpkin flavored focaccia – this sweet one has all the spice we tend to associate with pumpkin: https://amybakesbread.com/sweet-sourdough-pumpkin-focaccia/
Can anyone help me with good herbs to add to this recipe?
I do fresh rosemary and sage. Oregano works well too. Or sometimes the poultry seasoning mix of herbs I’ve found at the grocery store in the refrigerated section