Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Focaccia: The Ultimate Fall Treat
Get ready to fall in love with this delicious sourdough pumpkin cinnamon focaccia—your next go-to seasonal recipe! Packed with warm autumn flavors, it’s a healthier alternative to traditional sweet breads, featuring organic ingredients and a naturally fermented sourdough base. Plus, the homemade cream cheese frosting makes it irresistible while keeping it wholesome.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Gut-Friendly Sourdough: The natural fermentation process makes it easier to digest while enhancing flavor.
- Seasonal Pumpkin Goodness: Pumpkin puree not only adds flavor but also brings fiber, vitamins, and a moist texture.
- Healthier Sweeteners: Organic brown coconut sugar offers a lower glycemic index compared to refined sugar.
- Warm Spices: Cinnamon and pumpkin spice give this focaccia its signature fall aroma.
Pro Tips for Perfect Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Focaccia
- Active Starter: Ensure your sourdough starter is bubbly and active for the best rise.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Let all your ingredients come to room temperature for smoother mixing and fermentation.
- Customizable Sweetness: Adjust the sweetness in the filling and frosting to your preference.
My Favorite Better for you Brands to Bake With
- Organic Brown Coconut Sugar: Coconut sugar has a glycemic index (GI) of around 35, compared to granulated sugar’s GI of 65. The lower GI means it causes a slower and more gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream, helping prevent the rapid blood sugar spikes and crashes that granulated sugar often triggers.Unlike granulated sugar, which is purely empty calories, organic brown coconut sugar retains naturally occurring minerals like potassium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. These nutrients come from the coconut sap used to make the sugar, and while the amounts are small, they provide added nutritional value that granulated sugar lacks entirely.Granulated sugar goes through heavy refinement and processing, often involving bleaching agents and chemical treatments to achieve its white color and uniform texture. In contrast, coconut sugar is made simply by boiling and crystallizing the sap from coconut palm trees. The minimal processing preserves its natural nutrients and ensures it’s free from synthetic additives and harmful chemicals.
- Wholesome Organic Powdered Confectioners Sugar: Wholesome powdered sugar is made from organic cane sugar, meaning it’s grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or harmful chemicals. It is certified Non-GMO, ensuring that no genetically modified ingredients are used and free from artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors. Unlike many conventional powdered sugars that use cornstarch as an anti-caking agent, Wholesome uses organic tapioca starch. Wholesome Organic Powdered Confectioners Sugar isn’t just a sweetener—it’s a commitment to healthier eating, sustainable farming, and ethical practices. By choosing Wholesome, you’re opting for a product that’s better for your health, better for the environment, and better for the communities that produce it.
Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Focaccia
Ingredients
For the Sourdough Pumpkin Focaccia:
- 300 grams Organic Pumpkin Puree
- 150 grams Water
- 150 grams Active Sourdough Starter
- 10 grams Salt
- 500 grams Bread Flour
- 50 grams Organic Brown Coconut Sugar
For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
- 110 grams Organic Unsalted Butter
- 110 grams Organic Brown Coconut Sugar
- 5 grams Ground Cinnamon
- 5 grams Organic Pumpkin Spice Seasoning
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 110 grams Organic Cream Cheese (softened)
- 240 grams Organic Powdered Sugar
- 45 grams Organic Milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix pumpkin puree, water, sourdough starter, salt, bread flour, and brown coconut sugar. Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform 2–3 sets of stretch-and-folds to develop the dough. Allow at least 30 minutes of resting time between each set. For each stretch, gently pull one side of the dough upward and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat.
- Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it increases by 50% in size (usually 8 hours, I like to make this the day before and let it rise overnight)
- The next day: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice seasoning.
- Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a 9×13 pan.
- Place the dough in the prepared pan, coating both sides with the melted butter. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough.
- Fold the dough in half and gently stretch it to fit the pan. Let it rise for another 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Before baking, drizzle the remaining melted butter and sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar on top. Use your fingers to dimple the dough, pressing into it to create small indentations.
- Bake for 27–30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- While the focaccia is baking, whisk together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth.
- Once baked, transfer the focaccia to a cooling rack. Let it cool slightly before drizzling the cream cheese frosting over the top while still warm. Slice and serve!