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I created a recipe for sourdough dog treats with pumpkin for multiple reasons. We adopted our dog Moose at the end of summer last year. This year our girls begged to institute a birthday date for him and throw him a doggie birthday party. My oldest wanted to make him chicken broth popsicles. While I think that’s a grand idea, I didn’t want the mess associated with wet broth everywhere–outside or in.
Many of the homemade sourdough dog treats I saw online use peanut butter. Moose bafflingly does not like peanut butter! I know, so strange. So these treats are purely pumpkin and grains.
One of the biggest reasons I made these homemade dog biscuits with sourdough is that our dog’s favorite treat is sourdough pizza crust. On Sundays, we eat pizza made with dough that is fermented for three days. It’s the perfect amount of sour and crisp. My girls put their crusts in Moose’s dog bowl after dinner if they have any left and he loves them. Seriously, if he had to choose between a store-bought treat or something with sourdough, he’d pick sourdough.
Sourdough Dog Treat Ingredients
Along with pumpkin puree, my sourdough dog treat recipe incorporates healthy grains. Pumpkin is known to aid digestion in dogs and is a great source of fiber.
WARNING: As with any food you give your pet--please make sure that your dog is allowed to have the grains, spices and ingredients used in this recipe. Check with your vet if you are concerned.
I used oats and spelt for the dry ingredients in these diy sourdough dog treats along with some of my sourdough discard.
The recipe uses two simple wet ingredients: olive oil and egg. These healthy fats that bind the grains and pumpkin and help the dog biscuits come together.
Tips and Tricks for Homemade Sourdough Dog Treats
Spelt does not readily absorb liquid so your dough may be too wet to roll for cutting. If this happens to you, add some all-purpose flour until you have a consistency that you can roll and cut.
I ferment my pumpkin sourdough dog treat dough in the refrigerator overnight. Chilling the dough before rolling is helpful, but not necessary.
The recipe calls for lowering the oven temp at the end of the bake to dehydrate the treats. This is an important step if your dog likes crunchy treats.
Over time, the treats will soften. If crunch is an important factor for your dog, you can ‘toast’ the sourdough pumpkin dog treats in the oven for a few minutes to re-crisp.
Storage and Freezing Sourdough Dog Treats
As I mentioned, these sourdough dog biscuits soften over time. This is why I created a small batch recipe. After about 2 days you will notice a texture difference. While the treats are good on the counter for around a week or in the refrigerator for a few weeks, if you like, you can freeze some of the dough to make the treats at a later date. You could also freeze the cooked treats as well. If you freeze the baked treats, you’ll want to re-crisp them in the oven after thawing.
Cookie Cutter Ideas for Sourdough Dog Treats
I made my sourdough dog treats with three different-sized cookie cutters. Big, medium, and small. I chose three different sizes so I could determine how big of a treat to give. Our dog is a large breed and we occasionally use smaller treats for training. Other times, when he hasn’t had a treat in a while or when we are leaving the house we like to give him a larger treat. And the medium size was for the in-between times!
I used a large dog bone-shaped cookie cutter, a small cookie cutter, and an animal-shaped cookie cutter. My animal cookie cutter shape is a groundhog from a trip to Punxatawney, PA for Groundhog Day. We told Moose it was a squirrel.
You can use circles or cut the dough into rectangles or squares. Use whatever shapes and sizes you wish. I don’t think your dog will mind how they look as much as how they taste!
Whatever shapes and sizes you choose to use, your dog will love these sourdough pumpkin dog treats with pumpkin! They smelled so good when they came out of the oven my girls had to try them. They were mildly disappointed due to the lack of salt and sugar–but they were delighted with how much our dog loved them.
As with any treat, these are meant to be given in moderation and to supplement a healthy doggie diet.
Small-Batch Sourdough Pumpkin Dog Biscuits
Equipment
- large measuring cup for mixing
- 3/4 liter weck jars for storing
Ingredients
- 200 g sourdough discard about 3/4 cup
- 150 g pumpkin puree about 2/3 cup
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon optional, check with your vet if suitable for your dog
- 200 g rolled oats about 1 3/4 cups, or grind oats in a food processor for flour if you want less texture
- 50 g spelt about 1/3 cup, or use whole wheat or soft white wheat flour
Instructions
Mix the Dough:
- In a bowl, combine the sourdough discard, pumpkin puree, egg, and oil. Mix until smooth.
- Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon if using.
- Stir in the oats and flour gradually until a soft dough forms. It should be firm enough to roll but not too dry. Add more flour if the dough is too wet.
Ferment the Dough (optional):
- Cover the bowl loosely and let the dough rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours, or overnight, to ferment.
Preheat the Oven:
- The next day, preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shape the Treats:
- Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface.
- Use cookie cutters (bone shapes, hearts, or circles) to cut out treats, or simply cut into small squares with a knife.
Bake the Treats:
- Place the treats on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the biscuits are firm and slightly golden. For crunchier treats, lower the oven temperature to 200°F (95°C) and bake for another 20-30 minutes to dehydrate them.
Cool Completely:
- Let the treats cool completely on a wire rack.
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