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This moist Sourdough Pumpkin Quick 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. This pumpkin bread is a must-try this fall.
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I loved this recipe! I like recipes with streusel on top and this one is now a favorite. I have a couple of recipes for pumpkin bread and none is as moist as this one. The texture is perfect and it was a success at home. I don’t want to go back to the other recipes. -Cecelia
Pumpkin spice recipes are the highlight of my fall baking season! If you’re in the mood for muffins, try my Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins, or Sourdough Pumpkin Mini Muffins. And if you can’t get enough pumpkin, don’t miss my Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Focaccia and Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes.
Table of Contents
Reasons you will love this recipe
- Full of fall flavor– This homemade Sourdough Pumpkin Bread is the ultimate fall bake, full of warm spices and pumpkin flavor.
- Easy quick bread- Made in one bowl and baked in a loaf pan for easy prep and quick cleanup. If you love quick breads be sure to try my sourdough banana bread and sourdough apple fritter bread.
- Great way to use discard- The sourdough discard gives this pumpkin bread a soft, moist crumb.
- Great for all occasions – Perfect for an after-school snack, weekend baking project, or to share at fall gatherings and Halloween parties.
Ingredients & Substitutions for Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin purée– Make sure to use plain pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling in this recipe. You can use homemade pumpkin puree in place of canned but be sure to strain it first to prevent excess moisture in the bread.
- Sugars – I like to use a mix of white and brown sugar for the texture as well as the subtle caramel flavor the brown sugar brings.
- Sourdough Discard– You can use discard or active sourdough starter in this recipe, it doesn’t really matter! Using room temperature starter will be easier to mix in.
- Butter- You can use salted or unsalted butter, but to control the amount of salt, it is best to use unsalted. You will use butter in the pumpkin bread and also the streusel topping. Use softened, not melted butter, in the batter to cream together with the sugars.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice– This spice blend features cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. You can make your own pumpkin pie spice if you don’t have a premade one on hand.
- Milk– For a dairy-free option, you can replace the milk with full-fat coconut milk.
Instructions to make Sourdough Pumpkin Bread recipe
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with hand beaters, cream together the sugar, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add in the large egg, vanilla extract, sourdough discard, and pumpkin puree and beat until combined. Then mix in the milk.
Step 3: Add in the dry ingredients, including all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Mix until just combined. It is ok if the batter is not perfectly smooth. Over-mixing will make the bread dense.
Step 4: Prepare the streusel topping by dicing the cold butter and placing it in a separate small bowl. Add the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon to the bowl and, using a pastry cutter or your fingers, incorporate the ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs.
Step 5: Grease a 9 x 5-inch metal loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Step 6: Sprinkle the batter with the streusel topping.
Step 7: Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the temperature reaches 200°F. If the top is getting too dark tent it with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Recipe Tips
- 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.
- Use a metal loaf pan for this recipe. Glass pans take longer to heat up, which means the quick bread will need more time to bake — and that can cause the streusel topping to burn. If you’re using a glass pan, tent the top with foil during the last 15–20 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.
- Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the bread to ensure it is baked through. The bread should reach 200°F.
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure the wet ingredients combine easily.
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.
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!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! The addition of milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips to your loaf would be delicious! You could also try adding cinnamon chips, heath bits, pecans or walnuts. Add about 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter and leave off the cinnamon streusel.
Yes, either active starter or discard will work great in this recipe.
Yes, if you would like to long ferment the batter, simply cover the bowl of batter and place it in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Then when you are ready to bake add it to the loaf pan and bake as instructed.
More sourdough Quick breads & muffins
Sourdough Discard Recipes
Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
Sourdough Discard Recipes
Sourdough Chocolate Banana Bread
Sourdough Discard Recipes
Cinnamon Streusel Sourdough Banana Bread
Fall Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Apple Fritter Bread
Tried this Sourdough Pumpkin Quick Bread or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Bread
- 57 grams butter, 4 Tablespoons, room temperature
- 100 grams granulated sugar, ½ cup
- 110 grams brown sugar, ½ cup
- 1 large egg, 50 grams, room temperature
- 5 grams vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
- 305 grams pumpkin purée, 1¼ cups, room temperature
- 120 grams sourdough discard, ½ cup, room temperature
- 60 grams milk, ¼ cup, room temperature
- 5 grams baking soda, 1 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt, ½ teaspoon
- 2 grams cinnamon, 1 teaspoon
- 2 grams pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon
- 210 grams all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cup
For the Cinnamon Streusel
- 28 grams butter, cold, 2 Tablespoons
- 35 grams all-purpose flour, ¼ cup
- 55 grams brown sugar, ¼ cup
- 2 grams cinnamon, 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ degrees Fahrenheit.
- Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy.57 grams butter, 100 grams granulated sugar, 110 grams brown sugar
- Add in the large egg, vanilla extract, sourdough discard, and pumpkin puree and beat until combined. Then mix in the milk.1 large egg, 5 grams vanilla extract, 305 grams pumpkin purée, 120 grams sourdough discard, 60 grams milk
- Combine baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and flour together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.5 grams baking soda, 3 grams salt, 2 grams cinnamon, 2 grams pumpkin pie spice, 210 grams all-purpose flour
- 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.28 grams butter, 35 grams all-purpose flour, 55 grams brown sugar, 2 grams cinnamon
- Pour the batter into a greased 9×5-inch metal loaf pan and top with the streusel topping.
- Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the temperature reaches 200°F. If the top is getting too dark tent it with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Make sure to use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling.
- Do not overmix the batter or the bread can become tough.
- For a chocolate chip version add about 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter and leave off the cinnamon streusel.
- Use a metal loaf pan for this recipe. Glass pans take longer to heat up, which means the quick bread will need more time to bake — and that can cause the streusel topping to burn. If you’re using a glass pan, tent the top with foil during the last 15–20 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure the wet ingredients combine easily.
- 75 grams butter to 57 grams
- 2 eggs to 1 egg
- 368 grams pumpkin puree to 305 grams
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello: we love pumpkin bread. I’m excited to see your sourdough recipe and want to try it. I do have a question, I grow pumpkins, the cooking type, I want to use my pumpkin puree not a purchased canned version. Do you know if that will work the same?
Thank you,