Takeaways
- Pumpkin + spice dough fermented extremely slowly; bulk never reached a visibly aerated state.
- Starter likely lacked sufficient strength for enriched, spiced Pullman format.
- Long bulk did not compensate for low fermentation capacity; proof carried most of the rise.
- Baking decision was correct once proof plateaued; waiting longer would not have yielded lift.
- Resulting loaf was underfilled but structurally sound, sliceable, and likely best for toast.
- Next time: strengthen starter (multiple feeds), target warmer early bulk (76–78F), and/or increase dough weight or reduce pan size.
Rating:★★★
Hydration:60%
Prefermented flour:10%
Total dough weight:1070g
DDT:71°F
Formula
Levain
| Ingredient | Weight | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|
| Medium-protein bread flour or all-purpose | 46g | 100% |
| Water | 46g | 100% |
| Sugar | 9g | 19.6% |
| Ripe sourdough starter | 18g | 39.1% |
Total Dough
| Ingredient | Weight | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|
| Medium-protein bread flour or all-purpose | 199g | 50% |
| High-protein bread flour | 199g | 50% |
| Pumpkin puree | 120g | 30.2% |
| Whole milk | 80g | 20.1% |
| Water 1 (levain) | 46g | 11.6% |
| Water 2 (mix) | 94g | 23.6% |
| Sugar | 40g | 10.1% |
| Fine sea salt | 8g | 2% |
| Cinnamon, ground | 3g | 0.8% |
| Butter, unsalted (room temp, added gradually) | 64g | 16.1% |
| Raisins (golden/sultana or Thompson) | 80g | 20.1% |
| Sourdough starter | 18g | 4.5% |
Schedule & Timeline
LevainLevain / 9:00pm-9:00pm / 1 event
9:00pm
Mix levain
NEXT DAY
MixMix / 10:05am-10:05am / 1 event
10:05am
Mix dough
hand mix, pumpkin + spice incorporated, final dough temp @71F
BulkBulk / 10:05am-5:28pm (7h 23m) / 9 events
10:05am
Bulk start
container covered, ambient ~68F
10:35am
Coil fold #1
dough cohesive, still slack
11:08am
Coil fold #2
dough temp @69F
11:40am
Coil fold #3
dough temp @70F
12:30pm
Bulk check
smooth, domed, mildly sweet aroma, sticky, temp @70F
12:35pm
Warm-up
brief oven proof assist, dough temp raised to @73F
12:50pm
Warm-up end
brief oven proof assist, dough temp raised to @73F
3:53pm
Bulk check
~30–35% rise estimate, small side bubbles, firm, temp @74F
5:28pm
Bulk end
long bulk (~7h+), minimal jiggle, under-gassed but intact
ShapeShape / 6:00pm-6:00pm / 1 event
6:00pm
Final shape
shaped directly into Pullman pan, seam down, pan fill ~45–55%
ProofProof / 6:00pm-9:50pm (3h 50m) / 2 events
6:00pm
Proof start
counter proof, covered, ambient ~68–70F
9:50pm
Proof check
~50% pan height, just touching sides at bottom, very slow activity
BakeBake / 10:00pm-11:05pm (1h 5m) / 4 events
10:00pm
Preheat
oven to 425F
10:15pm
Load + lid on
baked @425F
10:35pm
Lid off
reduced to ~400F to finish
11:05pm
Cool
loaf removed from pan, cooled fully before slicing