Sourdough Pumpkin Roll with Fresh Milled Flour
A soft sourdough pumpkin roll made with sourdough discard and sifted fresh milled hard white and soft white wheat. It's rolled while hot in a sugared towel, then filled with sweet cream cheese filling for a clean swirl in every slice.
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
- 10×15-inch jelly roll pan
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cake
- 3 large eggs 150 grams, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree 163 grams, pure pumpkin, not pie filling
- ¼ cup sourdough discard 60 gram, unfed, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 grams
- 90 grams sifted freshly milled flour about ¾ cup, 71 grams hard white and 47 grams soft white wheat berries
- 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 5 grams
- ½ teaspoon salt 3 grams
For Rolling and Dusting
- Powdered sugar as needed for the towel and for dusting
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened ,226 grams
- 4 tablespoons salted butter softened ,56 grams
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120 grams
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mill the flour — Mill your hard white and soft white wheat berries on the finest setting. Weigh out 90 grams of freshly milled flour, keeping all the bran and germ. No sifting is needed.
- Prepare the pan — Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment well to prevent sticking.
- Whip the eggs and sugar — In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds, until frothy. Add the sugar and continue beating for 3–4 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick, and falls from the beaters in ribbons.
- Add the wet ingredients — Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the pumpkin puree, sourdough discard or active starter, and vanilla extract. Mix just until combined.
- Fold in the dry ingredients — In a separate bowl, whisk together the freshly milled flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture with a spatula until no dry flour remains. Avoid overmixing so the batter stays light and airy.
- Spread and bake — Pour the batter into your prepared jelly roll pan and spread it evenly into the corners. Bake for 12–15 minutes, checking at 12 minutes. The cake is ready when the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Roll the warm cake — While the cake bakes, lay a clean, lint-free kitchen towel on the counter and dust it lightly with powdered sugar. Let the baked cake rest in the pan for 1 minute, then carefully turn it onto the towel and peel away the parchment paper. Starting at a short end, roll the cake up with the towel inside. Let it cool completely, about 1–2 hours.
- Make the cream cheese filling — In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, salted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Fill and roll again — Carefully unroll the cooled pumpkin cake and remove the towel. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the surface, leaving about a ½-inch border around the edges. Gently roll the cake back up without the towel.
- Chill the pumpkin roll — Wrap the filled roll tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to help the filling firm up and the swirl hold its shape.
- Slice and serve — Unwrap the chilled pumpkin roll and transfer it to a serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for clean, beautiful swirls.
Notes
Pan Size – Use a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan. A larger half sheet pan spreads the batter thinner, so the cake bakes faster and is more likely to crack.
Sourdough Discard – Use unfed discard at room temperature. Let refrigerated discard warm up on the counter first.
Storage – Serve the roll within 2 hours at room temperature, then return it to the refrigerator. Wrapped tightly, it keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make Ahead and Freezing – Double-wrap the finished roll and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then slice and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
