When fall comes around, I find myself craving warm, rich, spicy flavors. That’s why I created this pumpkin chocolate chip sourdough brioche. It’s an irresistible, indulgent treat with all the best elements of fall.
I love serving this brioche at holiday gatherings. It’s a perfect addition to breakfast or brunch, but it goes equally well with an afternoon cup of coffee or hot apple cider!
If you love gooey fall treats, I think you’ll also enjoy my sourdough sticky buns. And for more pumpkin (shaped) goodness, try these classic sourdough pumpkin cookies!
Why Use Sourdough in Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Sourdough Brioche?
This brioche has an incredibly rich, complex flavor profile. Using sourdough brings all those flavors together and helps them to shine.
Whenever I’m working with a sweet dough, I like to use a sweet sourdough starter as my leavening agent. It uses osmotic pressure to slow down the development of lactic acid and create a mild, flavorful bread. You’ll taste only a very faint hint of tanginess: just enough to balance the buttery, chocolate brioche flavors.
Make sure you plan ahead so you have plenty of time to make that sweet sourdough starter. It’s a good idea to prep this recipe the night before you plan to bake your brioche.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Sourdough Brioche
To make the sweet pumpkin sourdough starter, you’ll need an active, bubbly sourdough starter, some bread flour, and a little sugar.
For the brioche dough, you’ll need more bread flour and sugar, pumpkin puree, butter, eggs, milk, and salt.
Equipment for Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brioche
I like to use my stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook, for this recipe, since the dough can be a little challenging to work with. But you can definitely knead it by hand if you prefer.
Either way, you’ll need a bread pan and a dough scraper. It’s also a good idea to use an instant-read thermometer to check whether your brioche is ready.
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Sourdough Brioche
Read this recipe the whole way through before you get started, so you can time this appropriately.
Step One: Prepare the Sweet Pumpkin Sourdough Starter
The night before you plan to bake this brioche, assemble your sweet sourdough starter. Stir together equal parts sourdough starter and bread flour, and add sugar, pumpkin puree, and water. Cover your starter and leave it in a warm place until it doubles in size. This usually takes eight to twelve hours.
Step Two: Mix the Dough
Before you mix the dough, blot the excess moisture from your pumpkin puree. Paper towels work well for this purpose. My puree weighed 80g after I blotted the moisture.
Add all of the dough ingredients, including the sweet sourdough starter and the blotted pumpkin puree, to a large mixing bowl. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. If you’re using a stand mixer, knead on level 1.5-2 for about eight minutes.
Add the butter little by little. I always cube my butter and add one cube at a time, scraping the bowl and making sure each cube is fully incorporated before I add the next one. Keep kneading until the dough passes the windowpane test.
Last but not least, add your chocolate chips, kneading them in carefully until evenly distributed.
Step Three: Bulk Fermentation
Cover your dough and let it rise for two to three hours, or until it’s about 50% larger. This could take longer, depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the strength of your sourdough starter. I have written a fermentation chart based on the temperature of your dough for this specific recipe below. Scroll to get your timing estimates or click here.
Step Four: Shape the Rolls
Divide your dough into eight equal pieces (I like to use a dough scraper for this step). Shape each piece into a roll and place in your bread pan. The pieces should fit snugly in one even layer. Make sure not to place the dough rolls on top of each other.
Step Five: Proof the Rolls
Cover your bread pan and let the dough proof for another hour or so. When it’s ready, it should look puffy and a little jiggly. If you press the dough, you should see an indentation that slowly bounces back.
Step Six: Bake the Rolls
Preheat the oven to 350⁰F.
Brush the dough with an egg wash made from one beaten egg and a spoonful of milk.
Bake the brioche for 55 to 60 minutes. If you have an instant-read thermometer, it should read 195⁰F.
Enjoy!
Tips for Making Amazing Sourdough Pumpkin Brioche
• Don’t overproof your dough. This dough has more starter in it than a typical sourdough loaf. It will rise more quickly than your average sourdough bread, so watch it carefully.
• Don’t stack your dough balls. Make sure you fit them snugly into the pan in one layer so they bake evenly.
• Be patient with the buttery dough. When you first add butter to the dough, it will look like a mess, but don’t give up. Just keep kneading, and the dough will become smooth and elastic.
• Use parchment paper. I like to grease and line my bread pan with parchment paper to make it easier to take the brioche out when it’s done baking.
How to Store Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brioche
Whatever you do, don’t refrigerate this brioche! It will dry out.
To store at room temperature, put your brioche in an airtight container or bread bag. You can also wrap it in plastic wrap. It will keep for three days on the counter.
To freeze, wrap the brioche in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container. It will last for up to three months. (It’s a good idea to slice before freezing.)
Let the brioche thaw at room temperature and then, for the best texture, warm the brioche slices in a low oven or microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pumpkin sourdough starter?
A pumpkin sourdough starter is a variation on the classic sweet, stiff sourdough starter used to bake enriched sourdough breads. This pumpkin sourdough starter is made with sourdough starter, bread flour, sugar, pumpkin puree, and a small amount of water.
It gives the brioche a subtle pumpkin flavor that permeates the whole loaf. It also helps minimize that sourdough tang while creating a beautifully soft and flavorful dough.
Do I need to use an active sourdough starter?
Yes. This recipe relies on the sourdough starter for leavening, instead of packaged yeast, so you absolutely need an active, bubbly starter. It’s a good idea to feed your starter beforehand and then give it plenty of time to rise when you make the pumpkin starter.
Why do I need to blot the pumpkin puree?
Pumpkin puree contains quite a bit of moisture, and too much extra liquid can make an enriched dough difficult to work with. Blotting the puree helps remove some of that excess moisture so you can add pumpkin flavor without altering the dough’s consistency.
Why does the recipe use a pumpkin starter instead of adding all of the pumpkin directly to the dough?
Adding pumpkin to the starter creates an extra layer of rich pumpkin flavor. It also controls the dough’s hydration level, as opposed to adding too much pumpkin puree to the dough itself.
Why is the butter added so slowly?
Brioche dough contains a lot of butter, which can be difficult to work with. Adding the little by little helps the dough absorb the fat properly. Add one cube at a time and wait until each cube is incorporated before adding more. The finished dough should become smooth and stretchy and pass a soft windowpane test.
How do I know when my brioche dough is properly kneaded?
The dough should be smooth, elastic, and stretchy. When you gently stretch a small piece of dough, it should pull into a thin layer so that you can see light through, rather than immediately tearing. This is known as the windowpane test.
Why is my brioche dough so sticky?
It’s normal for your dough to be sticky! This brioche is enriched with butter, eggs, milk, sugar, and pumpkin. That can make it feel sticky during mixing, especially before the butter is fully incorporated. Don’t worry. Just keep kneading steadily, and resist the temptation to add a lot of extra flour, since too much flour will make your brioche overly dense and heavy.
How do I know when the dough is ready?
Your dough is ready to bake when it becomes noticeably puffy and jiggly. Test it by pressing a floured finger gently into the dough; you’ll see a gentle indentation that slowly bounces back into shape.
How long does sourdough brioche take to rise?
This will vary depending on the strength of your sourdough starter and the temperature of your kitchen. I usually plan on two to three hours for the first rise, and an hour for the proofing step, but this isn’t an exact measurement. Check on your dough often, and go by its appearance instead of relying on the clock.
Can I use canned pumpkin puree?
Yes, absolutely. Just check to make sure you are using 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You should also blot your puree dry before adding to the dough.
Can I use fresh pumpkin puree?
Yes, definitely. Just make sure that your puree is firm and dense, similar to canned puree. Blot it dry before adding to your dough.
Why is my pumpkin brioche dense?
A dense loaf can happen for several reasons. Your dough may not have developed enough gluten, which means you haven’t kneaded it for long enough. The starter may also not be active enough, or the dough may not have had enough time to rise.
Make sure your starter is active before you get started. It’s a good idea to feed it beforehand. Give the dough enough time to become puffy and jiggly during both rises.
How do I know when the brioche is fully baked?
The easiest way to check is with an instant-read thermometer. The center of the loaf should reach about 195°F. The top should also look nicely baked and golden.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Sourdough Brioche
Ingredients
Pumpkin Starter
- 40 g active sourdough starter
- 40 g bread flour
- 50 g pumpkin puree
- 10 g water
- 10 g granulated sugar
Dough
- 450 g bread flour You may add more 10-15g at a time if the dough is too sticky.
- 180 g unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs about 100g, without shells
- 60 g cold whole milk
- 125 g pumpkin puree blotted dry
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 160 g active pumpkin starter prepared in advance
- 9 g salt
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 15 g milk
Instructions
Step One: Prepare the Sweet Pumpkin Sourdough Starter
- The night before you plan to bake this brioche, assemble your sweet sourdough starter. Stir together 40g each of sourdough starter and bread flour, and add the sugar, pumpkin puree, and water. Cover your starter and leave it in a warm place until it doubles in size. This usually takes eight to twelve hours.
Step Two: Mix the Dough
- Before you mix the dough, blot the excess moisture from your pumpkin puree. Paper towels work well for this purpose. My puree weighed 80g after I blotted the moisture.
- Add all of the dough ingredients, including the sweet sourdough starter and the blotted pumpkin puree, to a large mixing bowl. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. If you’re using a stand mixer, knead on level 1.5-2 for about eight minutes.
- Add the butter little by little. I always cube my butter and add one cube at a time, scraping the bowl and making sure each cube is fully incorporated before I add the next one. Keep kneading until the dough passes the windowpane test.
- Last but not least, add your chocolate chips, folding them in carefully until evenly distributed.
Step Three: Bulk Fermentation
- Cover your dough and let it rise for two to three hours, or until it’s about 50% larger. This could take longer, depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the strength of your sourdough starter. Review the fermentation chart below to see estimated timings.
Step Four: Shape the Dough
- Divide your dough into eight equal pieces (I like to use a dough scraper for this step). Shape each piece into a ball and place in your bread pan. The pieces should fit snugly in one even layer. Make sure not to place the dough balls on top of each other.
Step Five: Proof the Brioche
- Cover your bread pan and let the dough proof for another hour or so. When it’s ready, it should look puffy and a little jiggly. If you press the dough, you should see an indentation that slowly bounces back. Review the fermentation chart below to get estimated timings.
Step Six: Bake the Brioche
- Preheat the oven to 350⁰F.
- Brush the dough with an egg wash made from one beaten egg and a spoonful of milk.
- Bake the brioche for 55 to 60 minutes. If you have an instant-read thermometer, it should read 195⁰F.
Want to Use Yeast Instead?
If you don't have an active sourdough starter, you can make this brioche with active dry yeast and sourdough discard instead. The discard adds that signature sourdough flavor, while the yeast handles the rise.Replace the active sweet pumpkin starter with 160g fresh sourdough discard and 7g (2¼ tsp) active dry yeast.To make the substitution, combine the 60ml cold milk from the dough with the yeast and warm it until lukewarm, about 105–110°F (40–43°C). Stir in a small pinch of the sugar from the recipe and let it sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy. Then mix the bloomed yeast mixture, sourdough discard, pumpkin puree, and remaining dough ingredients as directed.Let the dough bulk ferment for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Shape the dough and let it proof for 30–45 minutes, or until puffy and jiggly, before baking.Because yeast fermentation is much more predictable than sourdough fermentation, these times are a starting point, but always let the dough's appearance and texture be your guide.Fermentation Chart
The fermentation times in this chart are a general guideline based on this specific recipe and the dough temperature listed. Sourdough fermentation can vary quite a bit depending on factors like the temperature of your dough, the strength and maturity of your starter, the temperature of your kitchen, and the flour you use.
For the most accurate timing, take the temperature of your dough immediately after kneading/mixing and use that temperature to find the closest range on the chart. From there, use the dough itself as your guide rather than relying solely on the clock. Your dough may be ready sooner or may need more time than the chart suggests.
Tip: Dough temperature can change throughout fermentation, so if your kitchen is significantly warmer or cooler than the temperature used for this chart, expect your fermentation time to change as well.
| Dough Temp | Bulk Fermentation | Final Proof |
| 65F (18C) | 3 hr 50 min | 2 hr 20 min |
| 70F (21C) | 3 hr | 2 hr |
| 75F (24C) | 2 hr 40 min | 1 hr 40 min |
| 80F (27C) | 2 hr | 1.5 hr |
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