Name: Carrot Cake Sourdough Bread
Prep time: 240 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 1380 min
Ingredients: 150 grams active sourdough starter; 400 grams lukewarm filtered water; 550 grams bread flour; 10 grams salt; 57 grams roughly chopped pecans; 75 grams raisins; 40 grams maple syrup; 3 grams ground cinnamon; 25 grams brown sugar; 110 grams shredded carrots; 8 tablespoons salted butter (room temperature); 1/3 cup maple syrup; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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This carrot cake flavored sourdough bread recipe is packed with freshly grated carrots, raisins, and chopped pecans. It’s sweetened with brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon and is the perfect spring dessert loaf! If you’re looking for a fun carrot bread recipe, this is it!

Half a loaf of carrot cake sourdough bread with several slices cut off. They all sit on a wooden cutting board.

I’ve been having so much fun testing out inclusions with my go-to sourdough bread recipe. This reminds me that if you haven’t made my jalapeno cheddar sourdough bread yet, you’ve got to add it to the list!

I tested this carrot cake sourdough bread recipe four times before I felt that it was *perfect*! It’s packed with flavor and ingredients that complement each other in the best way.

I’ve also included the steps to make a super simple 3-ingredient whipped maple butter that takes this bread over the top! I highly recommend making it while the bread is cooling down. This bread recipe also makes a fantastic French toast.

Carrot cake is a popular Easter dessert, and I wanted to incorporate that classic spring treat in this loaf. It’s unique and fun. If you make it, I’d love to know your thoughts!

If you’re looking for other Easter desserts, check out these sourdough discard coffee cake, carrot cake cookie sandwiches, lemon blueberry cake, or lemon curd cheesecake.

Looking to make an actual carrot cake? You’ve got to make my sourdough caramel carrot cake!

Several slices of carrot cake sourdough bread cut in half. They sit on a wooden cutting board. There are carrots, raisins, and chopped pecans sitting on the side of the cutting board.

Ingredients

Step-By-Step Instructions for Carrot Cake Sourdough Bread

This carrot cake sourdough bread is packed with warm cinnamon, sweet raisins, crunchy pecans, and fresh shredded carrots. Follow these step-by-step instructions with photos to guide you through the process!

The first four steps of making carrot cake sourdough bread: The first picture is the sourdough starter and water in a glass mixing bowl. The next picture is the bread flour and salt mixed in to the dough in the mixing bowl. The third picture is the dough with the inclusions added. The fourth picture is the dough sitting in the banneton after an overnight fermentation.

Step 1: Mix the Wet ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the active sourdough starter, lukewarm filtered water, and maple syrup until well combined.

Step 2: Make the dough

Add the bread flour, ground cinnamon, and brown sugar, then mix until a shaggy dough forms. There’s no need to knead—just make sure there’s no dry flour left. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30-45 minutes to allow the flour to fully absorb the water. (This is called the autolyse phase and helps develop gluten naturally!)

Step 3: Add Salt & Stretch and Fold the Dough

After resting, sprinkle salt over the dough and gently press it in. Now, start the stretch-and-fold process:

On the second round of stretch and folds, gently incorporate the shredded carrots, raisins, and chopped pecans, ensuring they’re evenly distributed without deflating the dough.

With slightly damp hands, grab one side of the dough, gently stretch it upward, and fold it over the center.

Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this 4 times so you complete a full turn of the bowl.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature (21-23°C/70-75°F) for 4-6 hours. During the first 2 hours, perform 3-4 more sets of stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes to strengthen the dough. By the end of bulk fermentation, your dough should look puffy and airy, with visible fermentation bubbles.

Step 4: Shape the dough and let it ferment overnight

Lightly flour a work surface and gently turn the dough out of the bowl. Shape it into a round (boule) or oval (batard), depending on your preference. To shape, gently pull the edges of the dough toward the center to create surface tension, then flip it over so the seam is on the bottom.

Place the shaped dough into a well-floured banneton or a bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel.

Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours (or overnight). This slow fermentation enhances the flavor and makes the dough easier to handle when baking.

The first picture shows the unbaked loaf sitting on a bread mat. The next shows the dough after being scored. The third picture is the baked loaf sitting on the dough mat. The final picture is the carrot cake sourdough loaf sitting on a wooden cutting board. There are carrots and raisins in the background.

Step 5: Preheat the Oven & Prepare for Baking

The next day, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) for at least 30 minutes with a Dutch oven inside. This ensures an even bake and helps with oven spring.

Cut a piece of parchment paper or use a bread sling to help transfer the dough and prevent inclusions (like raisins and pecans) from sticking and burning. Remove the dough from the fridge and flip it seam side down on the parchment paper or bread sling.

Step 6: Score the bread

Using a sharp bread lame or knife, score the top of the dough to allow controlled expansion while baking. I like to keep the scores simple when baking a bread with inclusions to avoid cutting into too many of them.

Step 7: Bake the carrot cake sourdough bread

Carefully place the dough into the preheated Dutch oven.

Bake covered at 450°F (232°C) for 30 minutes to trap steam and create a crisp crust.
Bake uncovered for another 30 minutes to allow the bread to develop a golden-brown color.

Step 8: Cool, slice, and enjoy!

Allow the bread to cool for 30-60 minutes before slicing it and serving. Top with maple butter (or regular butter) and serve!

Closeup of one slice of carrot cake sourdough bread. It sits on a wooden cutting board.

Tips to Make This Bread Recipe The Best

The kitchen scale is your friend. The kitchen scale is my go-to kitchen utensil when it comes to making sourdough bread. You’re sure to get a consistent loaf of bread every time if you measure out the ingredients. I have both U.S. customary and Metric measurements below to make it accessible to anyone. But for the best loaf, you’re going to want a kitchen scale. I got mine for about 10 bucks on Amazon.
Not a raisin fan? Read this first! If you want to omit the raisins, you’re going to need to tweak the recipe a bit. Raisins remove moisture from the dough, so if you take them out, you will need to add 5 grams extra of bread flour (totalling 555 grams) and 5 grams less of water (395 grams).
Try to keep the inclusions in the dough. There are a lot of inclusions in this recipe, so doing so is going to be pretty difficult. But the more you keep *inside* the dough, the less likely they will burn on the outside. This is why it’s also important to use parchment paper or a bread sling to prevent the inclusions from sitting on the bottom of the pan and burning.

Storage

Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. As always, homemade bread is best the day it is baked. Next day carrot cake bread makes a lovely French toast!

Curious about what supplies are needed to make sourdough bread? This post covers my sourdough baking must-haves!