Sourdough Pumpkin Soda Bread with Protein
Perfect for fall, this easy Sourdough Pumpkin Soda Bread has added nutrition from protein and pumpkin puree and is studded with raisins. Slightly sweet with molasses, adding a deep caramel-liquorice flavour, the stunning colour will light up your mornings or teatime. You can bake one large loaf or 8 cute small ones, making this a very pretty treat for guests and super quick to prepare.
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Why You Will Love This
Have you ever had soda bread and weren’t impressed by its crumbly dry texture and sometime strange aftertaste from the soda? This is your chance to fall in love with it. Just as I did.
It was so good, I made it twice in a week. Hence one large loaf and 8 small in the pictures.
Great use for Sourdough
Adding sourdough to soda bread sounds counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? After all there is soda! But trust me here: It adds a gentle tang to your soda bread and makes it slightly less crumbly, softer, and moister. Not to mention the health benefits it adds. You don’t need a long rise here, as we are just using discard.
Sneaky Veggies for colour, flavor and nutrition
Pumpkin Puree is hard to find in Ireland I admit. I got mine at an online American Food shop and it was so worth it!
It lends a gentle sweetness to the Sourdough Soda Bread and adds moisture, so you have a slightly more pillowy structure than usual in this type of bread. Not to mention the stunning orange colour, that just makes you want to light your pumpkin spice candles and have this with a nice cup of tea. Or coffee.
Protein Powder
A rather unusual ingredient in soda bread, but I try to add protein wherever I can, as I found I’m eating way too little if I don’t watch my intake.
It replaces part of the white flour, which is always a plus and adds protein instead.
I’m using MyProtein Cinnamon Danish here (Neither sponsored nor affiliated), as the cinnamon goes so well with the pumpkin.
Why Do I Add Protein?
You mean apart from the well known physical benefits of protein for the body like helping you to build muscle, keeping your bones strong and increasing satiation, meaning you stay fuller for longer and with that can maintain your weight easier?
Lesser known is, that it also effects the brain by helping it to effectively transport information through neuropathways using the amino acods found in Protein.
This even has been shown to help protect from age related dementia.If you’d like to read more about how and why I use protein, I wrote a blog post about it.
And another one about my weight loss journey, shedding 70lb within 1 year. Protein played a big part in that too!
Substitution for protein powder
You could replace it 1:1 with flour if you don’t want or have it, but it also adds sweetness to the dough, so you might want to compensate by adding a bit of sugar.
The Ingredients
Apart from the afore mentioned Sourdough starter, pumpkin puree and protein powder, which make this soda bread unique, you will need:
- Flour – Soda Bread can be made with any flour. I’m using 2 cups plain white and 1.5 cups fine whole wheat flour here, to add some nutty flavour and fibre, but still get a nice, soft dough that lets the bright orange from the pumpkin shine through.
Note:
Cups, due to the possibility of compacting the flour while dragging the container through it, can give you wildly different results. Use a tablespoon to gently fill the cup with flour, then drag the back of a knife over it to level. This should give you the closest to the standard 120g per cup of flour.
Alternatively, if you have kitchen scales, assume 120g flour per cup and weigh it out.
In some of my recipes I will give gram measurements for this reason, but I mostly try to accommodate the American cup system.
- Buttermilk – This is essential for the soda to react, as it needs some type of acid to develop its raising properties. It also adds a delicious tang to the dough, which can be a bit bland if made without buttermilk.
- Baking powder and soda – A mix of baking powder and soda means you don’t run the risk of having a strange….how do I say it politely…ah, yes, I don’t: Fishy taste. Apologies to the Irish people who are proud of their soda bread.
- Butter – The butter added here isn’t traditional either, but again adds moisture and a gentle chewiness that traditional soda breads are lacking.
- Molasses – My first soda bread with molasses and raisins many years ago was a revelation. Molasses, with its complex flavour profile and deep, almost liquorice sweetness, balanced the gentle pumpkin sweetness and plays exceptionally well with our next ingredient
- Raisins – I know, this one is controversial, and keep hearing people hate raisins nearly as much as Marmite. I love both. You can leave them out of course, but the little juicy bites really add excitement to this fall soda bread and go so well with the pumpkin and molasses. Give them a chance!
- Pumpkin Spice – Looking at my ingredients picture, I clearly forgot to add this in the photo, but I assure you, it’s in the bread. I’m just slightly scatter-brained. I’m clearly getting old.
Mix Your Own Pumpkin Spice
Being in Ireland makes getting pumpkin spice a challenge. But thankfully you can very easily mix it yourself. It’s a base of 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/8th tsp clove, ¼ tsp allspice and ¼ tsp nutmeg.
I made a larger amount recently, to keep in my spice cupboard, as I got a bit obsessed with pumpkin recipes.
The Process
Sourdough Soda Bread is as easy as it gets really. 15min and your bread can be in the oven. Which makes this the ideal one for short notice guests or “I really want bread but don’t want to go to the shops”. Better tasting too I have to add.
Let’s get to it, shall we?
Mix the protein powder with the wet ingredients
Since I have my Nutribullet*, I got into the habit of mixing my wet ingredients and protein powder in it, as it’s just so easy. But you can use a blender, a hand mixer* or simply a whisk * and elbow grease and it will be fine.
If using a Nutribullet * or similar blender, you can also add the butter here, as it will save you working it into the flour later.
Add your pumpkin puree, buttermilk, sourdough discard and protein powder to your blender or bowl * and thoroughly mix, until you have a creamy and delicious looking orange cream without any lumps.
Note:
If you are preparing this in the evening, leave out the baking soda and powder, to add it right before baking, as it will lose its effectiveness overnight.
Mix in Baking Soda
For baking straight away, pre-heat your oven now to 175°C (350°F).
Line a baking try with parchment or grease your mini bread tins with melted butter. Flour them lightly, so you’ll have an easy time getting out the mini loafs later.
If you plan to bake the Sourdough Pumpkin Soda Bread straight away, mix baking soda and powder with the flour. Add the spices, salt, soft butter, the creamy protein-pumpkin mix, and raisins, giving it a stir with a wooden spoon, to incorporate it all.
One Large Loaf
Now, with wet hands, as the dough will be very sticky, give it a quick knead, to make sure no flour lumps remain.
Shape your dough into one large loaf. It’ll look a bit rough, which is what we are going for, as those dough spikes that are standing up now make the most deliciously crunchy crust later.
With a sharp knife *, cut about 1in deep across the loaf in a cross pattern, so you get 6-8 triangle shaped sections. This will help the bread rise and make it easier to divide it later, as soda bread can be a bit crumbly to cut.
Mini Loaves
For mini loaves, divide the dough equally into 8 mini loaves in your mini loaf pan*. With a sharp knife *, cut a slit down the length of the loafs, to help them rise and have them look like bread.
Sprinkle with Cinnamon Sugar
Now you can sprinkle it with a bit of brown cinnamon sugar if you like. I found the caramelised sugar really improves the flavour and crunch, so I recommend it. Just mix 1 tbsp demerara sugar with ½ tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over the bread.
Bake Large Loaf
For a large loaf, bake 45-50 minutes, rotating once at around 20min, if your oven bakes unevenly.
You can test for doneness by either checking of your loaf is at 100°C (200°F) in the centre with a thermometer or tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow and is nicely golden brown, your Sourdough Soda Bread with Pumpkin and Protein is done.
Mini Loaves
For mini loaves, bake around 20-23 minutes, rotating at about 10min, if your oven bakes unevenly. Check the doneness as above. Alternatively insert a wooden skewer in the middle. If it comes out clean without sticky crumbs, your Mini Sourdough Soda Breads are done.
Let the bread cool a bit, otherwise it might be sticking to your knife.
Enjoy with cold butter and/or jam. I particularly loved it with either my Spiced Plum Curd or apricot jam
Meal Prep
Preparing this the evening before (adding soda and baking powder right before baking) makes this an excellent choice for meal prep.
After baking, due to the relatively high moisture content, this lasts about 3 days in your bread tin and about 5 days in the fridge.
Freeze and Reheat
When baked, you can freeze half the loaf or the mini loafs. I find the mini loafs particularly perfect, as you can grab as many as you need from your freezer and just quickly heat them in air fryer * or oven for a few minutes and you’ll have fresh Sourdough Pumpkin Soda Bread with Protein any time you want.
Looking for more pumpkin recipes?
Try my tempting Sourdough Pumpkin S’mores Cookies.
Or these delicious Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles with Protein.
Maybe a warming stew with squash is just what you need: Vegetable Stew with Dumplings
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Sourdough Pumpkin Soda Bread with Protein
Equipment
- 1 Mini Loaf Pan if you want these cute small loafs
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup protein powder. Vanilla or cinnamon flavour are ideal
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 3 tbsp soft not melted butter
- 2 cups plain white flour
- 1 ½ cups fine whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice or a mix of 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/8th tsp clove, ¼ tsp allspice and ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup raisins
Optional for sprinkling:
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Prepare Wet Ingredients:
- If you have a Nutribullet * or similar blender, use it for this step. Otherwise, you can use a blender, hand mixer *, or a whisk *.
- Combine pumpkin puree, buttermilk, sourdough discard, protein powder, and molasses in a blender or mixing bowl *. Blend or mix thoroughly until you achieve a creamy and lump-free orange mixture. If using a blender, you can add the soft butter at this stage to incorporate it into the mixture.
Mix Wet into Dry Ingredients:
- If you plan to bake immediately, proceed to preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F).
- In a separate bowl, combine the white flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and a pinch of salt. Add the soft butter, the creamy protein-pumpkin mixture, and raisins to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate everything. The dough will be sticky. Using wet hands, quickly knead the dough to ensure there are no remaining flour lumps.
Prepare the Dough:
- Depending on your preferred baking method, shape the dough accordingly.
For a large loaf:
- Shape the dough into one large, rough loaf. The textured surface will create a deliciously crunchy crust. Use a sharp knife to make a 1-inch deep cross pattern on the top, dividing the loaf into 6-8 triangle-shaped sections. This helps the bread rise and facilitates easier dividing later.
For mini loafs:
- Divide the dough equally into 8 portions and place them in your mini bread tins. Use a sharp knife to cut a slit down the length of each mini loaf to assist in rising and for a decorative touch.
Optional Topping:
- Sprinkle a mixture of 1 tbsp demerara sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon over the dough. This caramelized sugar adds flavor and crunch to the bread.
Baking:
For a large loaf:
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, rotating the loaf once around the 20-minute mark if your oven heats unevenly. Check for doneness by either inserting a thermometer into the center (it should read 100°C or 200°F) or tapping the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow and is golden brown, it’s done.
For mini loafs:
- Bake for around 20-23 minutes, rotating the tins at about 10 minutes if necessary. Check for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer into the center of a mini loaf. If it comes out clean without sticky crumbs, the mini sourdough soda breads are done.
Serving:
- Allow the bread to cool for a while before slicing and serving. Enjoy your homemade SSourdough Pumpkin Soda Bread with Protein!
- It’s amazing with cold butter and jam, or just on its own with a cup of tea or coffee. Or pumpkin spice latte/Chai, if you want to go all out.
Sourdough pumpkin soda bread looks delicious perfect breakfast idea. I tried with my sourdough discard so yummy.
Thank you, so happy it worked for you. 🙂
I tried this Sourdough Pumpkin Soda Bread, and it’s such a game-changer! The addition of protein makes it hearty, and the pumpkin gives it the perfect seasonal touch. So easy to whip up too!
Thank you. 🙂
The sourdough pumpkin bread turned out so good. My kids loved it in their snack box for school.
Thank you! Kids are the hardest to please. So glad this worked. 🙂
Delicious! Love the tangy sourdough with the sweet pumpkin and my husband really appreciated the extra protein added in. Great recipe!
This lovely liddle breads are perfect for school! My daughter loves them!
Thank you, so glad your daughter enjoys them. 🙂