Sourdough Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Streusel

This moist Sourdough Pumpkin Bread is so incredibly soft and delicious. It’s topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel that adds a sweet crunch and pairs so well with the warm flavors of the pumpkin and spices in the bread. This pumpkin bread is a must-try this fall.

Favorite fall baking recipes

Fall season means I get to break out all the pumpkin spice recipes! I love the smell of the spices when they are baking and are nice and toasty. If you are looking for muffins, I also have a Sourdough Pumpkin Muffin recipe that is similar to this pumpkin bread recipe but has chocolate chips in it. Or, if you are looking for a naturally leavened bread recipe, check out my Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Focaccia recipe. And for breakfast lovers, try my Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Honey Butter! The honey butter really takes these pancakes up a notch and are so delicious! 

Reasons you will love this recipe

• This Sourdough Pumpkin Bread is the perfect fall recipe to enjoy all your favorite flavors. 
• This recipe is made in one bowl and then added to the loaf pan for a super easy clean-up. 
• The pumpkin bread batter comes together really easily and is simple to make. 
• It is a great way to use up sourdough discard straight from the fridge, or if you do not have any at the moment you can also use an active starter. 
• You can easily whip this Pumpkin Bread up to take to a fall or Halloween party! 

Tools to make the Sourdough Pumpkin Bread

Kitchen aid stand mixer or beaters – You can use either a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hand-held beaters to mix the butter and sugar, or if preferred you can beat it by hand with a whisk. Once you add the flour I recommend mixing by hand with a spatula to avoid overmixing.

Measuring cups and spoons or a Kitchen scale – A kitchen scale will help ensure you are getting accurate measurements, but the recipe has both grams and cups written in it so you can use whichever method you prefer. 

Cooling Rack – Using a wire rack helps the bread cool quicker by allowing air under the bread. 

Loaf pan – this is my favorite 9″x5″ loaf pan to bake with. I use it for my Sourdough sandwich Bread recipe or for other quick breads like my Sourdough Banana Bread recipe. 

Ingredients for the Sourdough Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread ingredients 

• Butter- You can use salted or unsalted butter, but to control the amount of salt, it is best to use unsalted. 
• Sugar– The perfect combination of white and brown sugar makes this bread moist and fluffy.
• Pumpkin Puree– Use canned pumpkin puree to make this recipe simple! Just be sure to use plain pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Or you can use your own pumpkin puree that is made from scratch too!
• Vanilla extract– The vanilla pairs really well with the cinnamon in the bread. 
• Eggs– The eggs are used to bind the bread.
• Milk- I use whole milk but you can use whichever type you prefer. 
• Sourdough Discard-  You can use discard or active sourdough starter in this recipe, it doesn’t really matter!
• All-Purpose Flour – I recommend using unbleached flour when baking.
• Baking soda – Used as a leavening agent for the bread.
• Salt– The salt enhances the flavors. If you use salted butter cut the added salt in half.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice – This spice blend has beautiful spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.  
• Cinnamon– I like to add extra cinnamon to the bread to enhance the warm spice flavor. 

Cinnamon Streusel ingredients 

• Butter- You will need cold butter for this. Either salted or unsalted will work!
• All-purpose flour – Unbleached is what I recommend.
• Brown sugar – The brown sugar has a richer flavor that tastes so good paired with the cinnamon.
• Cinnamon –Cinnamon in the streusel enhances the flavor in the bread. 

Instructions to make Sourdough Pumpkin Bread recipe

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl with hand beaters, cream together to sugar and butter until light and fluffy. 

Next add in the eggs, vanilla, sourdough discard, milk, and pumpkin. Mix the wet ingredients with the butter and sugars until well incorporated.

Then add in the dry ingredients including flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. Mix until just combined with a spatula. It is ok if the batter is not perfectly smooth. Over-mixing will make the bread dense. 

Prepare the streusel topping by dicing the cold butter and placing it in a small bowl. Add the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon to the bowl and using a pastry cutter, or your fingers, incorporate the ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Grease your loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper, so you can easily remove the bread. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and top with the streusel topping. 

Bake for 1hr 15 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I recommend tenting with foil for the last 20 minutes to avoid the top getting too toasty. 

Remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy!

Tips for success baking the Sourdough Pumpkin Bread

• Do not over-mix the batter! This will cause the gluten to start to develop which will make the bread dense and tough. It’s okay if there are still a few clumps in the batter after adding in the flour. Just mix until it has fully combined and then stop. 
• Test to see if the bread is baked through by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread. Ovens can vary so your baking time may vary slightly and this is the best way to tell if it is ready to pull out of the oven or not. 
• Be sure to grease your loaf pan or use parchment paper to line it. If you do not, your batter will stick to the loaf pan and it will be really difficult to remove from the pan. 

How to store the Sourdough Pumpkin Bread

To store the Sourdough Pumpkin Bread wrap it in saran wrap or aluminum foil once completely cooled and leave it at room temperature. It will last several days on the counter. Or for extended shelf life, you can store it in the fridge and then add it to the microwave for a few seconds to have a warm slice. 

If you would like to freeze the pumpkin bread, double wrap the loaf with saran wrap or place in a freezer bag once completely cooled. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat one pull it from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for a few hours until defrosted. This can be a fun way to enjoy fall recipes later in the year!