SourdoughAmericanMedium

Vegan Sourdough Pumpkin Seed and Oat Bread

Name: Vegan Sourdough Pumpkin Seed and Oat Bread
Prep time: 51 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 36 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ⅔ cup (60 g) old-fashioned rolled oats; ½ cup (120 ml) boiling water; 3⅓ cups (400 g) bread flour; ½ cup (60 g) whole wheat flour; 9½ fl oz (280 ml) water, lukewarm, about 80°F (27°C); ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration, vegan, fed with flour and water), bubbly and at its peak, 4–8 hours after feeding; 1 tbsp (20 g) maple syrup; 1¾ tsp (10 g) fine sea salt; ½ cup (75 g) raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted in a dry skillet and cooled completely; 2 tbsp (20 g) raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas); 2 tbsp (10 g) old-fashioned rolled oats; 1 tbsp (10 g) white rice flour, for dusting the banneton (or use extra bread flour)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A tall, chewy sourdough loaf with a soft, moist oat-soaked crumb, toasty pumpkin seeds throughout, and a crackly crust crowned with oats and seeds. Fully vegan, with a long cold proof for deep flavor.

Prep: 51 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 21 hr 25 min
Total: 23 hr 1 min
Makes: 1 round loaf (about 10 slices)

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the oat soaker
⅔ cup (60 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup (120 ml) boiling water
For the dough
3⅓ cups (400 g) bread flour
½ cup (60 g) whole wheat flour
9½ fl oz (280 ml) water, lukewarm, about 80°F (27°C)
½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration, vegan, fed with flour and water), bubbly and at its peak, 4–8 hours after feeding
1 tbsp (20 g) maple syrup
1¾ tsp (10 g) fine sea salt
½ cup (75 g) raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted in a dry skillet and cooled completely
For the topping
2 tbsp (20 g) raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 tbsp (10 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tbsp (10 g) white rice flour, for dusting the banneton (or use extra bread flour)

Equipment (11)

Kitchen scale
Large mixing bowl (4–5 quart / 4–5 L)
Small heatproof bowl for the oat soaker
Small skillet for toasting seeds
Dough scraper
9-inch (23 cm) round banneton or a bowl lined with a heavily floured kitchen towel
5–6 quart (4.7–5.7 L) Dutch oven with lid
Sharp razor blade (lame) or very sharp knife
Parchment paper
Instant-read thermometer
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Feed your starter 4–8 hours before you begin so it is bubbly, doubled and passes the float test (a spoonful floats in water).
Read the timing: the dough needs about 5 hours of bulk fermentation, then 12–16 hours in the fridge. Start in the morning to bake the next morning.
Your kitchen should be around 75°F (24°C). In a cooler kitchen, bulk fermentation will take longer, so judge by the dough, not the clock.
Weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale for reliable results. Cup measures are approximate.

1
Toast seeds, soak oats
- Toast the 75 g (½ cup) pumpkin seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring constantly, until they puff, pop and smell nutty.
- Tip onto a plate to cool.
- Put the 60 g (⅔ cup) rolled oats in a heatproof bowl, pour over the 120 ml (½ cup) boiling water, stir and cover.
- Leave until the mixture is thick and cooled to room temperature.
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Ready when: Seeds are puffed, lightly golden and fragrant; oat soaker is thick, porridge-like and no longer warm
Tip: Don't walk away from the skillet; pepitas go from toasted to bitter quickly.
2
Mix and rest dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the 280 ml lukewarm water with the 100 g starter and 20 g maple syrup until mostly dissolved.
- Add the 400 g bread flour, 60 g whole wheat flour and the cooled oat soaker.
- Mix with a wet hand or spatula until no dry flour remains and the dough is shaggy and sticky.
- Cover the bowl and rest.
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Ready when: No dry flour pockets; dough looks rough and shaggy
Tip: Wet your hands before touching the dough to stop it sticking.
3
Add salt and seeds
- Sprinkle the 10 g salt over the dough and add the cooled toasted pumpkin seeds.
- Wet your hand and squeeze, fold and pinch the dough for about 3 minutes, folding the edges into the center, until the salt has dissolved and the seeds are evenly spread.
- Cover.
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Ready when: No gritty salt is felt and seeds are evenly distributed through the dough
Tip: Make sure the seeds are fully cool; warm seeds can speed up fermentation unevenly.
4
Bulk ferment with folds
- Keep the dough at about 75°F (24°C), covered.
- Over the first 90 minutes, do 3 sets of stretch and folds spaced 30 minutes apart: wet your hand, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up gently and fold it over the center; turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 4 times.
- After the third set, leave the dough undisturbed, covered, for another 2½–3 hours.
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Ready when: Dough has grown about 50–75% in volume, is jiggly, domed at the edges, and shows bubbles on the surface and at the sides of the bowl
Tip: Oat dough ferments a little slower than white dough. Go by volume and bubbles, not by the clock.
5
Pre-shape the dough
- Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out.
- Using a dough scraper, fold the edges into the center to form a loose round, then flip it seam-side down.
- Drag it toward you on the surface to build tension.
- Cover with the inverted bowl or a towel and let it rest.
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Ready when: Dough holds a loose round shape and has relaxed and spread slightly
Tip: Use as little flour as possible on the counter so the dough can grip it.
6
Final shape and topping
- Dust the banneton generously with the 10 g rice flour.
- Mix the topping seeds and topping oats on a plate.
- Dampen the top of the dough lightly with a wet hand.
- Flip the dough over so it's seam-side up, fold the sides to the center like an envelope, then roll it into a tight round.
- Lightly moisten the smooth top with a wet hand and press it into the oat and seed mixture.
- Place it in the banneton topping-side down, seam-side up, and pinch the seam closed.
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Ready when: Dough surface is taut and smooth, and the topping is firmly stuck to it
Tip: If the topping doesn't stick, mist the dough surface with a little water.
7
Cold proof overnight
- Cover the banneton with a plastic bag or shower cap and refrigerate for 12–16 hours.
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Ready when: A floured finger pressed into the dough leaves a dent that springs back slowly and only partway
Tip: If the dent fills in immediately, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
8
Preheat Dutch ovenOven 500°F / 260°C
- At least 45 minutes before baking, put the Dutch oven with its lid on in the oven's center rack and preheat to 500°F (260°C).
- Cut a sheet of parchment to fit under the loaf with a little overhang for lifting.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 500°F (260°C) and the pot has heated for the full 45 minutes
Tip: Use oven mitts; the pot and lid will be extremely hot.
9
Score and bake coveredOven 450°F / 230°C
- Turn the cold dough out onto the parchment so the topping side is up.
- Score the top with a razor blade, one confident slash about ½ inch (1 cm) deep.
- Carefully lift the parchment into the hot Dutch oven, cover, and reduce the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Bake covered for 25 minutes.
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Ready when: Loaf has risen tall, with the score opened into an ear, and is pale golden
Tip: Score straight away after unmolding; cold dough cuts cleanly, but it softens quickly at room temperature.
10
Bake uncoveredOven 450°F / 230°C
- Remove the lid and bake the loaf for another 20 minutes at 450°F (230°C) until the crust is deep golden brown and the oats and seeds on top are toasted.
- Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer.
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Ready when: Deep golden-brown crust, hollow sound when tapped on the bottom, and an internal temperature of 205–210°F (96–99°C)
Tip: If the top is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil.
11
Cool completely
- Use the parchment to lift the loaf onto a wire rack.
- Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
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Ready when: Loaf feels barely warm to the touch on the bottom
Tip: You may hear the crust crackling as it cools; that's normal.

Good to know

Tips

If the dough feels too sticky to handle, wet your hands rather than adding extra flour; oats make the dough stickier at first but it firms up through the folds.
Without a Dutch oven, bake on a preheated baking stone or steel with a tray of boiling water on the rack below, and remove the tray after 20 minutes.
Use a starter at its peak; an underactive starter gives a dense loaf.
For a stronger sourdough tang, extend the cold proof to 16–18 hours.

Make ahead

"The dough can stay in the fridge for up to 24 hours total during the cold proof. For a quicker morning, you can also shape the loaf in the evening, so it is ready to bake straight from the fridge."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: wrap the cooled loaf in a clean towel or store cut-side down in a bread bag for up to 4 days. Fridge: not recommended, as it dries the bread out. Freezer: slice and freeze in an airtight bag for up to 3 months; toast slices straight from frozen, or refresh a whole loaf in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10–15 minutes."

Substitutions

raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) → sunflower seeds. Toast them the same way; the flavor is milder and the seeds smaller.
maple syrup → agave syrup or brown sugar. Use the same weight. Do not use honey if you want to keep the loaf vegan.
whole wheat flour → rye flour or more bread flour. Rye adds an earthy flavor; extra bread flour gives a lighter crumb.
white rice flour → all-purpose flour. Rice flour sticks less, but all-purpose works if you use a generous amount.