• Prepare the starter: Take about 3 tablespoons or 40 grams of sourdough starter and put it into a small bowl or quart-size mason jar. Add 120 grams (½ cup) water followed by 120 grams (3/4 cup and 2 teaspoons) all-purpose flour (or bread flour). Mix until there is no dry flour left. Cover with a lid or clean disposable shower cap (can be reused) and leave at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours until it is doubled in volume, full of large shiny bubbles, and has a ripe fruit smell.'
• Mixing Autolyse: Use a large mixing bowl to make your dough. Start by adding the first part of the water: 800 grams or 3 and 1/4 cups and 2 tablespoons and 3/4 teaspoon water. Then, add the 240 grams or 1 and 1/3 cups active sourdough starter and all of the flour (240 grams or 1 and ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons whole wheat flour and 960 grams or 6 and 1/4 cups 2 and ½ tablespoons bread flour. Mix these together until there is no dry flour left, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and underneath the dough, especially if you are using a dough hook in a stand mixer. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes for autolyse.
• Finishing the Mix and Beginning Bulk Fermentation
• After the autolyse rest, add your 24 grams or 4 teaspoons of sea salt with the remaining 16 grams or 1 tablespoon of water over the salt to dissolve it. Massage it the salt by hand. Keep turning and folding your dough until the salt is well incorporated and you no longer feel any concentrated areas of salt. Cover your mixing bowl with plastic wrap or transfer your dough to a 6-quart size cambro container for the bulk fermentation. Keep the dough at room temperature for 4 to 7 hours until doubled in volume, shiny in appearance, and feels tacky but not sticking to your hand. See this comprehensive post for more help. Alternatively, you can place the dough into the fridge for cold bulk fermentation for 24 to 72 hours.
• Stretch and Fold: 30 minutes after you've added the salt, take an edge of the dough and gently pull and stretch the dough up and then fold it over itself. Give the bowl a quarter turn and stretch and fold the dough again. Repeat with all four quarters of the dough. If your dough is in a cambro or square container, you will do a coil fold by taking one side of the bin and pulling it up so it stretches up and then fold it over the rest of the dough. Do this process at least once. You can repeat this process up to four times in 30 minute intervals in the beginning of the bulk ferment.

Instructions: Step-by-Step Pumpkin Boules

• Divide and Preshape the Dough: After the bulk fermentation, divide the dough into three equal pieces. Take the dough out of the bowl or container onto an unfloured work surface. You can divide the dough into thirds by gauging it visually, or use a scale and weigh out three pieces that are about 760 grams each.
• Preshape each into a round shape by quickly jutting the dough scraper or bench knife under the edge of one of the portions of dough and then pulling that edge up and over the top of the portion of dough. Then rotate the dough with the bench knife on the work surface to tighten the dough into a ball by using the unfloured surface to create tension. Repeat with the other portions of dough.
• Prepare for Final Proofing: Let the balls of dough rest for 10–20 minutes while you prepare three round proofing bowls. If you have banneton basket liners, place those in your proofing bowl. Dust the proofing bowls with some rice flour or all-purpose flour. If you aren't using a liner, make sure to cover all the grooves and surface of the proofing bowl to avoid the dough sticking.
• Shape the Boules: Shape the dough rounds into boules (round loaf shapes). To do this, lightly flour the top of one of the rounds of dough then use the bench knife or dough scraper to pick the dough up by quickly pushing it under the dough round and then flipping it over so that the floured top is down and the sticky side is up. Gently stretch the dough out to create more surface area. Then take the left and right sides of the dough and fold them into the middle of the dough so that they are slightly overlapping (it should look like a burritio). Pinch this seam together. Take the end of the rolled dough nearest to you and then roll up the dough so that the seam is inside the dough. Roll until the floured side is right side up again. Create tension with the sticky bottom of the dough (now on the work surface again) and the unfloured work surface by rotating the dough with the bench knife or by pulling the dough toward you with the bench knife and your other hand gently holding the top of the dough to keep it from flipping over. Once the dough is tight and smooth, pick it up with the bench knife and flip it into the prepared proofing bowls so that the smooth, floured top is upside down.
• Repeat with the other rounds of dough.
• Proof the Dough: Cover the bowls of proofing dough with plastic wrap, a disposable shower cap, or kitchen towels. Proof the dough at room temperature for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until the volume is 1 ½ to 2 an indentation remains when you press a finger into the dough.
• Place your covered bowls of dough into the fridge while you preheat the oven.
• Preheat the Oven and Dutch Ovens: Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Place your Dutch oven(s) into the oven.

Assembling and Tying the Pumpkin Boules:

• Cut and Prepare the Twine: Cut 12 pieces of cooking twine(4 for each loaf), each 24 inches long. Use a high quality cotton cooking string. Coat them well with flour or rub them generously with coconut oil (flour worked better for me).
• Arrange the Twine: Lightly flour the dough in the proofing bowl before arranging the twine. For each boule, use four pieces of twine: Lay the first piece over the top of the dough. Lay the second piece over the first in a cross pattern. Lay the third and fourth pieces diagonally over the first two to create a star-shaped pattern. Make sure you have equal sections of dough between the pieces of kitchen twine.
• Flip the Dough and Tie: Place a large piece of parchment paper over the arranged twine and proofing bowl. Hold the edges tightly, then flip the bowl over so the dough rests on top of the twine. Remove the bowl. Tie the ends of each piece of twine at the top of the dough, ensuring the twine is snug but not too tight (it should press lightly into the dough to make a slight indentation but should not squeeze the dough). On the last piece, wrap it around the others to secure the knot.

Scoring and Baking the Boules

• Score the Dough: Using a bread lame, score each section of your "pumpkin." A simple vertical line down the middle of each section works well.
• Transfer to Dutch Ovens: Carefully transfer each boule into the hot Dutch oven(s) by lifting the unbaked sourdough "pumpkin" with the parchment paper. Tuck the twine ends into the Dutch oven to reduce the risk of burning. Place the top onto the Dutch oven.
• Bake the Boules: Place the covered Dutch oven(s) into the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 475°F (246°C). Bake for 18 minutes.
• After the first part of the bake, carefully open the Dutch oven(s), take out the partially baked loaf, and place the bread directly on the oven rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C) and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Finishing Touches

• Cool and Remove the Twine: Allow the loaves to cool for 5–15 minutes. Once they are cool enough to handle, cut each string and carefully remove the twine from the bread.
• Let the loaves cool on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting for best results.
• Add the Pumpkin Stem: For a fun finishing touch, add a stem to your pumpkin boule. You can use a cinnamon stick, toasted almond, or anything else you have available that resembles a stem.