Sourdough Pumpkin & Herb Focaccia with Fresh Milled Flour

You are going to love this sourdough pumpkin & herb focaccia made with fresh milled flour. It’s that time of year for everything pumpkin! If pumpkin spice lattes had a savory cousin, this focaccia would be it.

Beautiful orange pumpkin blended into sourdough, topped with fresh herbs, olive oil, and flaky salt, baked until your whole kitchen smells like fall. Now, add in fresh-milled flour for a nutty depth of flavor you just can’t buy off a grocery shelf.

I’ll be honest—this sourdough pumpkin bread is a great recipe, but it is not one of those 30-minute miracle breads. It’s slow, cozy baking, but that’s the point; It’s weekend baking. It’s soup season, and this is total carb comfort. It may also be a little show-offy in the best way, you know, the kind you bring to the table full of friends or that the whole family will want you to make over and over. 

Need more pumpkin recipes? Try Pumpkin Pie Focaccia, Maple Pumpkin Custards, Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. 

Looking for more sourdough recipes made with freshly milled flour? Try Sourdough Challah, Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia Bread, Sourdough Apple Pie Cobbler, Sourdough Apple Pie Oat Bars, Sourdough Pound Cake, or Sourdough Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. 

Why You’ll Love this Focaccia Recipe

We love trying new focaccia recipes, and this fresh whole wheat flour version offers serious flavor. Aside from the health benefits of whole grains, it brings out a nutty, toasty complexity that elevates your bubbly focaccia. It’s the ultimate savory pumpkin bake, a step away from the normal sugary loaves for a change. This sourdough bread is all about that earthy pumpkin flavor, subtle herbs, and olive oil. 

A cozy, crowd-pleaser, this loaf is perfect alongside soups, roasted veggies, or just eaten warm with butter. Soft, savory, and perfectly golden—this autumn recipe is full of flavor and easy to love. Let’s bake a cozy sourdough pumpkin & herb focaccia together! 

Step-By-Step Sourdough Pumpkin Focaccia

Mix & Rest (Autolyse): Combine pumpkin puree, maple syrup, water, starter, herbs, and olive oil in a bowl. Stir in both flours until a shaggy dough forms. Let it rest for 30-60 minutes.

Oil, Salt, & Knead: Add salt and olive oil. Knead for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough forms a windowpane. 

Bulk Fermentation: Cover the dough and let your sourdough pumpkin focaccia dough rest at room temperature until slightly puffy (3–4 hours). It will not rise 100%, look for about a 50% rise. 

Second Proof: Transfer dough to a well-oiled pan (use about 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil, you don’t want anything to stick). Use fingertips to stretch it out to the edges of the pan.

Let the dough rise at room temperature for about 1 hour while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees. The second rise is finished when the dough passes the poke test. 

Prepare: Drizzle olive oil over the top of the dough and gently dimple with your fingers. Try not to break through the bottom of the dough with your nails. Sprinkle more herbs if desired and finish with some flaky sea salt. 

Bake: Bake 20–25 minutes until you have a nice golden crispy crust at the edges, and it’s still tender in the center. It should have an internal temperature of 200 degrees. 

Cool & Slice: Immediately remove the focaccia loaf from the pan and place it on a wire cooling rack. Let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes if you can hold out. Slice, dip, serve, and enjoy.

Sourdough Pumpkin Focaccia Variations

This little loaf is perfect on its own, and even better with some over-easy eggs or made into a sandwich with Thanksgiving leftovers! Change it up a bit by sprinkling shredded parmesan or asiago cheese during the last 5 minutes of baking for a little melty mouthfeel.

Add pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds on top for a little crunch, or try making a smoky & spicy twist by adding a pinch of smoked paprika or chili flakes to the dough for a hint of heat.

This sourdough pumpkin & herb focaccia is rustic, flavorful, and just the right mix of hearty and fluffy. The pumpkin brings moisture, the herbs add aroma, and the fresh-milled flour? That’s the secret that makes people go, Whoa, what’s in this?

Bake it for soup night, slice it for sandwiches, or tear into it straight from the pan. Either way, your kitchen is about to smell incredible, and your belly will be very happy.

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Sourdough Pumpkin & Herb Focaccia with Fresh Milled Flour

Yield: 1 Small Loaf

Prep Time: 5 hours 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes

Cozy sourdough pumpkin & herb focaccia made with fresh-milled flour. Soft, savory, and perfectly golden—an autumn recipe is full of flavor!

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Ingredients

• 60 grams Active Sourdough Starter (3 Tablespoons)
• 9 grams Maple Syrup (1 teaspoon)
• 130 grams Pumpkin Puree (1/2 Cup), canned or homemade, but NOT pumpkin pie mix
• 115 grams Water (1/2 Cup)
• 200 grams Hard White Wheat (1 Cup Berries)
• 50 grams Soft White Wheat (1/4 Cup Berries)
• 3 grams Salt (1 teaspoon)
• 13 grams Olive oil (1 Tablespoon), plus 2-4 TBSP more for coating pan and 1 TBSP for dimpling
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon Dried Sage
• 1/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• Pinch of Flaky Sea Salt

Instructions

1. Combine pumpkin puree, water, maple syrup, starter, herbs, and olive oil in a bowl. Stir in both flours until a shaggy dough forms. Let it rest for 30-60 minutes.
2. Add salt and olive oil. Knead for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough forms a windowpane. 
3. Cover the dough and let your sourdough pumpkin focaccia dough rest at room temperature until slightly puffy (3–4 hours). It will not rise 100%, look for about a 50% rise. 
4. Transfer dough to a well-oiled pan (use about 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil, you don't want anything to stick). Use fingertips to stretch it out to the edges of the pan.
5. Let the dough rise at room temperature for about 1 hour while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees. The second rise is finished when the dough passes the poke test.
6. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the dough and gently dimple with your fingers. Try not to break through the bottom of the dough with your nails. Sprinkle more herbs if desired and finish with some flaky sea salt. 
7. Bake 20–25 minutes until you have a nice golden crispy crust at the edges, and it's still tender in the center. It should have an internal temperature of 200 degrees. 
8. Immediately remove the focaccia loaf from the pan and place it on a wire cooling rack. Let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes if you can hold out. Slice, dip, serve, and enjoy.

Notes

• Recipe makes one small focaccia—enough for a cozy dinner or to stash for a few sandwiches later.
• I use a round pan, but a square one is totally fine
• This is a high hydration dough, so if you need to make adjustments for your environment, do it, it's your bread after all! 
• If you have fresh rosemary and other garden herbs, those work great too.
• I have not tried refrigerating overnight, but you may opt to try for deeper flavors.
• Being fresh-milled, this dough will not rise as much as traditional flour and will have a denser crumb, keep that in mind.
• Be sure to use an active starter; otherwise, it may take a much longer time to rise
• If needed, line your pan with parchment paper before oiling for easy removal
• You can oil and dimple your dough before the second rise if you prefer.

Nutrition Information

Yield 10 Serving Size 1 slice
Amount Per Serving Calories 140Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 188mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 6gSugar 1gProtein 5g

*This has not been evaluated by the FDA