Section 1

Pumpkin Sourdough

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Pumpkin Sourdough uses pie pumpkin or Winter squash. This recipe makes about 5 lbs 4 oz of dough, enough for three nice sized loaves at 1 lbs 14 oz each.

The dough is at 72.3% hydration and is sticky and difficult to work with.

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�� For Preferment:

� �� In the late afternoon around 4:00 � 5:00 pm, to a large covered container add:

v 1� cup ripe, vigorous starter at 166 % hydration � 9 oz

v 2 cups water � 16 oz

v 4 cups bread flour � 18 oz

Cover lightly with a lid and allow mixture to ferment at room temperature of 70 � 75 degrees until around 9:00 � 10:00 pm.

Then put the preferment into the refrigerator overnight.

�� Next morning around 7:00 am:

Put a cup of Pumpkin or Squash into a blender with 4.5 oz of evaporated milk and blend the squash until smooth.

Make sure the pumpkin is the meaty,dry kind used for making pies or drain the canned kind to remove some of the liquid.

Now add the pumpkin, milk mixture to your dough mixer and also add:

v 1� cups water � 8 oz

v 2 Tablespoon Oil � 1 oz

v 1 heaping Tablespoon malt syrup or honey � 1 oz

v 4 & � teaspoons salt (add after autolyse) - .9� oz

v 5 & 7/8 cups Bread flour � 26.5 oz bread flour- you can use part all purpose flour

As an alternate:

v Intead of 1 heaping Tablespoon- use 2 heaping Tablespoons of malt syrup or honey � 2 oz in the dough

v Sprinkle cinnamon on dough when shaping loaves, so the cinnamon is swirled throughout the loaf

v Add raisins to the dough when shaping the loaves

Add the Bread flour a bit at a time until it is all incorporated into the dough, use the lowest speed setting on your mixer. After the flour has been incorporated turn off your mixer and allow the dough to autolyse (rest) for 20 minutes. After the autolyse period, turn your mixer back on the lowest speed and slowly add the .9 oz of salt.

Let the dough mix on low speed for about three minutes to develop the gluten. Dough will be very sticky. Place the dough back into a dough folding trough if you have one or a large container and let it ferment for four hours until around 11:30 am. If using folding trough, fold the dough about once an hour to strengthen the glueten. After fermenting for four hours, take the dough and divide, shape and place the loaves into the proofing baskets, lined with proofing cloths or use a couche. To stagger the loaves, shape one loaf every 25 minutes so they can be baked at different times, instead of shaping all of the loaves at once. Allow loaves to final proof, which should take 1 � 2 hours. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees when there is about an hour until baking time to get the stone good and hot.

When the dough is ready and feels bubbly and springy, take the first loaf and turn the dough out onto a peel or flat baking sheet. Press pumpkin seeds into the top of the dough and slash if you wish. Slide into the hot preheated 450 degree oven, onto a hot baking stone, spray the dough once with water quickly, and then cover with a roasting lid which has also been preheated in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take off the roasting lid and turn down the oven to 400 degrees. Continue baking for 15 more minutes, turning the loaf once for even browning. To make sure the loaf is done, using your bread thermometer, check to see if it is at 200 degrees in the center of the loaf. For the next loaf, turn the oven back up to 450 degrees and put the roasting lid back in to preheat. Bake the same as the first loaf. This bread is a light pumpkin colored, airy loaf with crunchy roasted seeds on the top crust. It will make a great Halloween buffet loaf.

Baker�s Percentages

Preferment�� 2 lb 11 oz�� - 89.8 %

Liquid/Syrup�� 13 oz�� - 27.2 %

Oil�� 1.0 oz�� - 2.1 %

Salt�� .9�� - 1.9 %

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Bread Flour�� 26.5 oz�� - 55.3 %

Total weight of dough�� 5 lbs 4.4 oz�� - 176.3 %

Total flour�� 2 lbs 15.9 oz�� - 100%

Total water�� 2 lb 2.6 oz�� - 72.3 %