Pumpkin Shaped Sourdough Bread Bowls

Spice up your bread bowl for fall with these adorable mini pumpkin-shaped sourdough creations! Not only do they add a festive touch to your meals, but sourdough is also gut-friendly, making these bowls a delicious and wholesome choice for serving soups or dips.

Links to Supplies You Will Need:

Servings: 5 bread bowls (weighing around 200g each)

Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Fermentation Time: 4-6 hours on counter, overnight in fridge

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 24 hours

Ingredients for the Dough:

125g active starter
365g warm filtered water
12g salt
500g unbleached bread flour

To make them shaped like pumpkins:

Butchers twine
Olive oil (for dipping the twine in)
Cinnamon sticks (for stems)

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine 125g active starter, 365g warm water, 12g salt, and 500g flour until well mixed. Use your hands to ensure there are no dry flour pockets. Cover and let rest for 1 hour.
Perform 4 rounds of stretch and folds every 30 minutes. After the last fold, let the dough bulk ferment for 4-6 hours, or until it has increased in size by 50%-75%.
Shape the dough into 5 mini loaves (about 200g each) and place them into mini bannetons.
Cover and refrigerate overnight (8-12 hours).
The next morning, dip pieces of butchers twine in olive oil to prevent sticking. Place 4-5 pieces on each dough ball while still in the banneton.
Use parchment paper to flip the dough out of the banneton. Tie the opposite ends of the twine to create pumpkin indents.
Preheat your Dutch oven to 500°F (260°C). Bake 2 loaves at a time with the lid on for 20 minutes (add ice cubes for steam to achieve a crispy crust). Then, lower the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C), remove the lid, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
After baking, cut the twine off and insert a cinnamon stick as the pumpkin stem.
Once cooled, cut off the top piece of the loaf and carve out a circle in the bread, pulling out the pieces (save these for snacks, croutons, or breadcrumbs). Fill the bread bowl with your soup of choice and enjoy!

Additional Tips:

Variations: Experiment with adding herbs or spices to the dough for extra flavor.
Substitutions: If you don’t have butchers twine, you can use kitchen twine, but ensure it’s food-safe & dipped in olive oil to prevent sticking to the bread.
Common Mistakes: Avoid rushing the fermentation process; longer fermentation develops better flavor and texture.

Storing Instructions:

Store any leftover bread bowls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, freeze the bread bowls before filling.

Reheating Tips: Reheat the bread bowls in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through.