It’s time for a new sourdough discard bread, because I have gathered a lot of discard in my fridge. This Pumpkin and Sunflower Sourdough Discard Bread has that distinct sour taste that I love, a moist crumb and a nice firm crust.
When you feed your starter do not throw away “the discard” as you can make amazing breads with it. This bread, for example, has a high water content and turns your sourdough discard into something extraordinary with incredible flavor.
Just give it a try and you will see that it would be a shame to just throw away all that discard, because this kind of bread is so simple to make without much effort and it tastes wonderful. All you need is a little time.
Tools & Equipment
- 20,5×10,5cm/8×4-inch pullman loaf pan with lid or 22,9×12,7cm/9×5-inch loaf pan
- Digital thermometer
- Medium saucepan with lid
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush
- Silicone spatula
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Prepare the Levain: Take your starter out of the fridge the night before you want to bake the bread. To make the levain use this ratio: 1:5:5 – mother dough, flour, water. Let the mixture sit overnight at room temperature. The next morning it should have at least doubled or even tripled in size.
Discard Starter: I like to use 400g of discard starter and 200g of levain for this recipe. This may seem like a lot to you, but depending on how long you have kept your discard starter in the fridge, it will develop more or less flavor. If you think your discard might be too sour, use less. Keep in mind, though, that the bread won’t taste as sour as the discard starter smells. Overall, it’s a matter of personal taste and your best bet is to do some experimenting yourself.
Steam: You can use a pullman loaf pan with a lid, as I did. Alternatively, you can use a 2nd loaf pan of the same size or slightly smaller, place it on top of the loaf pan with the dough and bake the bread that way. This will create steam. The other option, if you don’t have an additional loaf pan, is to place a heatproof bowl on the bottom of the oven and fill it with water to create steam.
Ingredients for Pumpkin and Sunflower Sourdough Discard Bread
Step by Step Guide – How to Make Pumpkin and Sunflower Sourdough Discard Bread
Make the Levain
Combine mother dough, whole wheat flour, rye flour and water and let it sit overnight at room temperature.
Make the Bread
Combine discard starter, levain, flour, water, salt and seeds in a medium saucepan and stir until fully incorporated, for about 1-2 minutes. Cover the saucepan with a lid and let it ferment for about 3-5 hours.
Grease your loaf pan with non-stick spray. Pour the dough into the pan and smooth the surface. Cover with the lid and let proof for about 2-3 hours.
Preheat the oven to the highest temperature. Reduce the temperature to 230°C/450°F, spray some water on top of the loaf and cover with the lid. Place the pan in the oven. Bake until the core temperature reaches 80°C/176°F, for about 35-40 minutes. Remove the lid from the pan and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the core temperature is about 90-95°C/195-203°F. If you notice that the top of the loaf is browning too much, cover with foil.
Release the loaf from the pan and bake on parchment for another 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: Keep the loaf in a cotton bag or wrap it in a large kitchen towel so the bread can breathe. It will usually stay fresh at room temperature for about 4-5 days. Do not store your bread in the fridge.
Freezing Instructions: To freeze, slice the bread or keep a whole loaf and wrap it tightly in aluminum foil, plastic wrap or a freezer bag. If stored properly, the bread will stay at its best for about 3 months. To thaw, remove the frozen loaf from the freezer the night before and let it thaw at room temperature on the counter, still wrapped. In the morning, lightly moisten the top of the bread with some water and bake at 175°C/350°F for about 15-20 minutes.
My Summary for Pumpkin and Sunflower Sourdough Discard Bread
Difficulty: Simple
Taste & Texture: I made this bread using a mix of discard and fresh starter, so it has a distinct sour taste. The bread is moist, has a more open crumb with a nice crust. So if you like this kind of bread, this is a perfect one for you.
Time: Active prep time is really short, because you only mix the ingredients briefly and later just pour the dough into the pan. Most of the time you spend waiting: Fermentation of the dough takes about 3-5 hours, then it needs to proof in the pan for another 2-3 hours and baking time is about 55-65 minutes. Plus cooling time at the end. I suggest letting the bread cool overnight, it will taste even better the next day.
More BREAD Recipes
- Basic Sourdough Bread
- Country Sourdough Discard Bread
- Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread
- Sourdough Discard Turmeric Bread
- Whole Grain Sourdough Bread