Carrot Cake Sourdough Bread

5 from 3 votes

This Carrot Cake Sourdough Bread is stuffed with carrots, raisins, nuts, and gooey cream cheese chips. Swirled with a buttery spiced cinnamon filling, this recipe brings all the flavors of classic Sourdough Carrot Cake in an artisan loaf.

Prep Time40

Cook Time50

Proofing Time6

Total Time7 30

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Author: Emily Christensen

Equipment

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter (Levain)

50 grams active sourdough starter ¼ cup
50 grams all-purpose or bread flour ⅓ cup
50 grams warm water ¼ cup

Sourdough Bread

350 grams carrot juice, warmed 1 ½ cups
150 grams active and bubbly sourdough starter ⅔ cup
10 grams salt 1 ½ teaspoon
500 grams bread flour 3 ½ cups

Mix ins

55 grams raisins ⅓ cup
55 grams chopped pecans ½ cup
55 grams shredded carrots ⅔ cup
100 grams cream cheese chips or white chocolate chips ⅔ cup

Swirl

57 grams butter room temperature ¼ cup
50 grams brown sugar ¼ cup
8 grams cinnamon 1 Tablespoon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
16 grams flour 2 Tablespoons

Instructions

Feed sourdough starter: About 4 hours before making the loaf, build a levain or feed your sourdough starter at a 1:1:1 ratio (50 grams sourdough starter: 50 grams flour: 50 grams water). Cover and let it rest at 77–80°F until bubbly and doubled in size.
50 grams active sourdough starter. 50 grams all-purpose or bread flour, 50 grams warm water
If you don’t have extra starter, add an extra 5–10 grams to each portion (starter, flour, and water) so you have enough to bake with and still keep your starter going.
Skip this step if your starter is already activated and ready to bake with.
Note: If you want to start the loaf in the morning, you can feed your starter a 1:5:5 ratio (15 grams active sourdough starter, 75 grams flour, 75 grams water) the night before and leave for about 10 hours at 72℉.
Mix dough: With a danish dough whisk (10% off with link) hands, or large spoon mix together active starter, carrot juice and salt in a container with straight sides or a medium clear bowl. Add the flour and mix well for about 2 minutes ensuring all the flour is fully incorporated.
350 grams carrot juice, warmed, 150 grams active and bubbly sourdough starter, 10 grams salt, 500 grams bread flour
Cover with a lid or dinner plate so the dough doesn’t dry out and let sit for 30 minutes in a warm spot.
To follow the suggested timing, keep the dough temperature at 75°F.
Stretch and folds: Perform 2 sets of stretch and folds with a 30-minute rest in between each set.
To stretch and fold the dough, grab one side with a damp hand and gently shimmy the dough up, and then fold it on top of itself. Repeat this 3 more times, rotating the bowl 90 degrees each time.
Cover and keep the dough warm between each set.
Prepare mix-ins: In a bowl, combine the shredded carrots, pecans, raisins, and cream cheese chips. If you are shredding your own carrots, pat them dry with a paper towel before adding them to the dough.
55 grams shredded carrots, 55 grams chopped pecans, 55 grams raisins, 100 grams cream cheese chips or white chocolate chips
Lamination: After the second set of stretch and folds, let the dough rest for 30 minutes and then add the mix-ins with lamination.
Turn the dough out onto the counter and gently stretch it into a large rectangle, being careful not to tear it. Sprinkle one-third of the mix-ins over the dough. Fold the ends of the dough toward the middle to enclose the mix-ins.
Add another one-third of the mix-ins, fold the dough toward the center again, then add the remaining mix-ins. Roll the dough up like a log, then use cupped hands to gently shape it into a rough round. Place the dough back into the bowl to continue the first rise.
First rise: Let the dough rest on the counter in a warm spot to finish bulk fermentation. Bulk fermentation is done when the dough is jiggly, domed on top, bubbly on the sides, and risen 50%. If it does not show these signs, continue to let the dough rise.
At a dough temperature of 75°F my dough is ready in about 4.5 hours from the time it is mixed.
Make filling: In a bowl, mix the filling ingredients together until smooth. If the butter isn’t incorporating easily, microwave the mixture for about 5 seconds to soften it slightly. It should be soft, not melted.
57 grams butter room temperature, 50 grams brown sugar, 8 grams cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, 16 grams flour
Prep basket: Lightly flour an 8–10-inch oval proofing basket with all-purpose flour or rice flour. If you don’t have an oval proofing basket, line a loaf pan with a lightly floured tea towel.
Shape dough: Turn the dough out onto an unfloured surface and gently stretch it into a 12 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling evenly over the dough. Fold the bottom third of the dough up toward the center. Then fold the top third down so the edges meet in the middle, like folding a letter. Spread the remaining filling over the folded dough. Starting from one short end, roll the dough up somewhat tightly into a log.
Add to basket: Pinch the sides closed to seal, then place the dough seam side up into a proofing basket. Cover.
Final rise - same-day (option 1): Let the dough rest on the counter for 1–2 hours at 75°F. To check for readiness, perform the poke test: gently press the dough with a lightly floured finger. If the indentation slowly springs back, it’s properly proofed and ready to bake. If it bounces back right away, it needs more time. If the indentation doesn’t spring back at all, the dough is overproofed and should be baked right away. Once the dough is ready, place it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Tip: Poke the dough in several spots since this loaf has a lot of mix-ins. Avoid poking areas with a heavy concentration of mix-ins so you can get a more accurate read on the dough.
Final rise - overnight (option 2): Place the dough in the fridge overnight for 8-12 hours until ready to bake. No need to test if the dough is ready, just bake it straight from the fridge.
Preheat: Preheat dutch oven in the oven at 425℉. To prevent the bottom of the loaf from burning, place a heavy-duty baking sheet on the rack below.
Score: Place a piece of parchment paper or a silicone bread sling over the top of the basket. Flip the dough out onto your surface and remove the basket. Using a bread lame or a sharp knife held at about a 45-degree angle, quickly score one long slash along the length of the loaf.
Bake: Transfer the dough to the preheated Dutch oven and cover with the lid. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. If the loaf is getting dark, you can bake the entire time with the lid on or just remove the lid for the last 5 minutes.
Cool: Place the loaf on a cooling rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting, but ideally about 2 hours.

Notes

This loaf contains a large amount of mix-ins along with a cinnamon sugar swirl, which can slightly disrupt the gluten network. Even though the loaf may bake up a little flatter with a more closed crumb than a traditional loaf, the flavor from all the mix-ins makes it well worth it.
All of the mix-ins can be swapped out or removed based on your preference. If you can’t find cream cheese chips, you can substitute white chocolate chips or leave them out altogether. Pecans can also be replaced with your favorite nuts.
See sample baking schedules in the blog post.
Chill before scoring. If baking the same day, place the shaped loaf in the freezer for 20–30 minutes right before baking. It makes scoring easier and helps the loaf hold its shape.
Seal the seams well. After rolling the dough into a log, pinch the seams and ends closed tightly. This helps keep the filling tucked inside the loaf.
Don’t overshape the dough. Once the loaf is rolled up, resist the urge to keep tightening or reshaping it. Overhandling can cause the dough to tear, which may lead to the filling leaking out. If you notice a small hole, gently pinch the dough back together and place it seam side up in the basket right away.
Let it cool before slicing. It’s tempting to cut into the loaf right away, but let it cool for at least 30 minutes (but ideally 2 hours) before slicing. This helps the crumb set properly, prevents gaps from forming around the layers, and keeps each slice structured and clean.

Nutrition