Carrot Cake Sourdough Focaccia Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze

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I am bringing you the most perfect Carrot Cake Sourdough Focaccia Bread just in time for Easter! This bread is incredibly soft and chewy and gives you all the flavors you love about carrot cake, but in a focaccia bread.

carrot cake bread with cream cheese icing and pecans on top

If you bake one thing this Easter, let it be this! When I tell you that this is the most unreal focaccia bread you will ever have, I am not exagerrating.

I love this Carrot Cake Sourdough Focaccia Bread so much because it gives you everything you crave from a carrot cake but with way less sugar and fewer ingredients. I took a classic sourdough focaccia dough and added tons of spices, beautiful grated carrots and then finished it all off with a sweet cream cheese glaze. Top it all off with some toasted coconut and pecans and there is nothing more you need in life!

You can make this dough serveral days in advance, and even bake it in advance. Simply Freeze the bread after its baked then when you are ready to serve, heat it in the oven and top it with that cream cheese glaze. This bread is perfect to serve for Easter brunch, at afternoon tea or even as Easter Dessert. Grab your starter and lets get baking!

a slice of carrot cake bread with cream cheese icing

Tips for perfect carrot cake sourdough focaccia bread

  1. Use an active sourdough starter at its peak. This will yield the fluffiest sourdough focaccia bread. I recommend feeding your starter a 1:5:5 ratio about 8-10 hours before you make the focaccia bread. You will know it is at its peak when it is flat on top and no longer domed with lots of bubbles at the surface.
  2. The carrots get added during stretch and folds. I recommend adding half of the carrots during your seconds set of fold and the remaining half during the third set of folds so that it all gets evenly incorporated.
  3. Be sure to let the dough bulk ferment long enough. If you under ferment your dough, it will be dense and gummy. Bulk fermentation should take a minimum of 5 hours and may take up to 8. You will know its done when it has doubled in size.
  4. Allow the dough to continue to ferment in the fridge after bulk fermentation for at least 8 hours. This continues the process to getting nice light and fluffy focaccia bread. My ideal recommended time to keep the dough in the fridge is around 24 hours.
  5. Once you remove the dough from the fridge andplace it on your baking sheet, allow it to rst another couple of hours at room temperature before dimpling and baking it. You will get a much better rise and airier texture if you do not skip this.

Carrot Cake sourdough Focaccia Bread Ingredients

Flour– You can use unbleached all purpose flour or bread flour.

Sourdough Starter– This recipe uses active sourdough starter for ultimate rise and flavor.

Honey– There is jsut a touch of honey added to the dough for an extra development of flavor.

Salt– This is necessary in flavoring any sourdough bread you make.

Spices– Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg are the three spices traditionally used in carrot cake so that is what we addedto this bread.

Carrots– Use freshly peeled and grated carrots.

Oil/Butter– You can use olive oil, avocao oil, or meted butter.

Cream Cheese– I recommend using brick style cream cheese to keep the glaze slightly thicker.

Powdered Sugar– This is what is used on the creamcheese glaze for a smooth sweet icing.

Toppings– I love adding toasted coconut and toasted pecan on top of this bread. You can use any nuts you like or use none at all.

a loaf of focaccia bread with a bowl of cream cheese icing and toasted nuts on the side

The Steps

1.Start by mixing together the water, and sourdough starter in a large bowl. Then add in the 1 tbsp melted butter, flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Stir with wooden spoon or dough whisk until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy dough.

2. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Then perform one set of coil folds or stretch and folds. Cover the bowl and let sit another 30 minutes.

3. After 30 minutes, perform your 2nd set of stretch and folds, this time folding in half of the grated carrots. Cover the bowl and let rest another 30 minutes.

4. Perform the 3rd and final set of stretch and folds, adding the remaining carrots and folding until they are well mixed into the dough.

5. Let the dough rise covered on the counter for approx 6 hours or until doubled in size. If your house is cooler than 20 degrees Celsius, you are fine to leave it on the counter for 8-9 hours or overnight which is what I like to do.

6. Once bulk fermented, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight or anywhere from 8-36 hours.

7. Remove the dough from the fridge. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and drizzle with a couple tbsp melted butter or oil. Flip the dough onto the rimed baking sheet, cover the pan of dough and let rest for 2 more hours.

8. Preheat your oven to 425F when you are ready to bake.

9. Drizzle a couple more tbsp of melted butter or oil over the top of the dough then gently dimple it with your fingers. Bake for about 25 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned on top.

10. Finally, in a small bowl, stir together the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk. Mix well until smooth. Pour the cream cheese glaze over the slightly warm bread and top with a spirnkloe of toasted coconut and pecans. Serve the bread warm and enjoy!

bread dough with grate carrots in a bowl
bread dough with grated carrots in it
Dough after bulk fermentation
fermented bread dough with carrots in it
Dough after 24 hours in the fridge
carrot focaccia bread unbaked
carrot cake focaccia bread with cream cheese glaze and toasted coconut

If you give this recipe a try, leave your thoughts in the comments below or give the recipe a review 🙂

Looking for more delicious recipes to try this Spring? Check these out!

https://cmbarndominium.com/sweet-and-tangy-raspberry-cheesecake-sourdough-focaccia/

https://cmbarndominium.com/blueberry-crumble-sourdough-focaccia-bread/

https://cmbarndominium.com/croissant-sourdough-rolls-with-rosemary-ham-cheese/

https://cmbarndominium.com/soft-raspberry-sourdough-rolls-with-lemon-cream-cheese-icing/

2 slices of carrot focaccia bread on a black plate

Carrot Cake Sourdough Focaccia Bread

Yield: 1 Loaf
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 18 hours
Total Time: 19 hours

Soft and fluffy Sourdough Focaccia bread full of shredded carrots, cinnamon ginger and nutmeg. Topped with a sweet cream cheese glaze and toasted coconut and pecans.

Ingredients

  • 500g unbleached allpurpose flour or bread flour
  • 375g water
  • 75g honey
  • 100g active sourdough starter
  • 14g melted butter, avocado oil or olive oil
  • 10g salt
  • 10g cinnamon
  • 1.5g of both ginger and nutmeg ( or 1/2 tsp of each)
  • 2 cups gated carrots
  • 3/4 cup softened cream cheese
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp milk
  • Toasted coconut and pecans for topping

Instructions

  1. Start by mixing together the water, honey, and sourdough starter in a large bowl. Then add in the 1 tbsp melted butter, flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Stir with wooden spoon or dough whisk until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy dough.
  2. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Then perform one set of coil folds or stretch and folds. Cover the bowl and let sit another 30 minutes.
  3. After 30 minutes, perform your 2nd set of stretch and folds, this time folding in half of the grated carrots. Cover the bowl and let rest another 30 minutes.
  4. Perform the 3rd and final set of stretch and folds, adding the remaining carrots and folding until they are well mixed into the dough.
  5. Let the dough rise covered on the counter for approx 6 hours or until doubled in size. If your house is cooler than 20 degrees Celsius, you are fine to leave it on the counter for 8-9 hours or overnight which is what I like to do.
  6. Once bulk fermented, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight or anywhere from 8-36 hours.
  7. Remove the dough from the fridge. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and drizzle with a couple tbsp melted butter or oil. Flip the dough onto the rimed baking sheet, Cover the pan of dough and let rest for 2 more hours.
  8. Preheat your oven to 425F when you are ready to bake.
  9. Drizzle a couple more tbsp of melted butter or oil over the top of the dough then gently dimple it with your fingers.
  10. Bake for about 25 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned on top.
  11. Finally, in a small bowl, stir together the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk. Mix well until smooth.
  12. Pour the cream cheese glaze over the slightly warm bread and top with a spirnkloe of toasted coconut and pecans.
  13. Serve the bread warm and enjoy!

Notes

* You can make this dough ahead of time and leave it in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking.

*This focaccia bread can be stored in the freezer with out without the icing for up to 2 months.

* If you want to add even more to this bread, you can add rasisins or nuts into the dough when you fold in th carrots.

Did you make this recipe?

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© morganmckay
Category: Sourdough

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