Technicolor Carrot Bread

    I finally had a chance to use the blue pea flowers I bought a month or so ago after seeing several people on the Facebook bread groups as well as here recently post their versions.  Naturally I had to try and put my own spin on it.

For my first attempt it came out pretty good, but I almost had a disaster in the making.  The formula below is not 100% accurate since I forgot that I used extra water to soak the flowers in and in my haste to mix up the 2 dough’s needed and cook dinner at the same time I never re-weighed the water :(.  This caused me to add some extra French flour and a bit of Rye flour so I didn’t end up with soup.  The dough was still very slack but I think if you follow my formula below it should be fine.

I made 2 different dough’s using one starter.  The blue dough was mostly made with the KAF French style flour with a bit of rye per above and yellow roasted carrots.  The second dough was fresh milled whole wheat with fresh milled rye and purple roasted carrots.  I made a few rolls as well as you can see in the photos.

I think all in all, the bread turned out beautiful and it tasted great.  The roasted carrots add a bit of sweetness and extra color.  The whole wheat and rye part actually turned orange looking for some reason.

Note: use 50% of the Levain for each dough.

Here are the Zip files for the above BreadStorm files.

Levain Directions

Mix all the levain ingredients together  for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.  Let it sit at room temperature for around 7-8 hours or until the starter has doubled.   You can use it immediately in the final dough or let it sit in your refrigerator overnight.

Blue Water Directions

Soak the pea flowers in boiling water for an hour or longer.  Strain flowers out before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Peel and cut the carrots into medium to small size pieces and toss in some olive oil.  Place on a sheet pan and roast at 425 F until soft and slightly charred.  Let cool until ready to use and cut them up into small pieces.

Blue Dough Directions

Mix the French Style flour or AP or Bread Flour with the Blue water and let rest for 30 minutes.  Next add the starter (see note above) and mix on low for 5 minutes.  Add the carrot pieces (50% of total amount listed) and mix for one more minute until incorporated.  Place in oiled bowl and cover.  Do some stretch and folds every 15-20 minutes 3 times.  After 90 minutes place in refrigerator overnight.

Whole Wheat/Rye Dough Directions

Mix the flours with regular water and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour.  Next add the starter and mix on low for 5 minutes.  Now add the other 50% of the carrots and and mix for about a minute until incorporated.  Per above, place in bowl, do S & F’s and place in refrigerator when done.

The next day, let the 2 bowls sit at room temperature for around 1.5 hours or if you have a proofer or it’s hot in your house you can let it sit for an hour or less ( I set my proofer at 78 degrees).  Take both dough’s out and form into a rough rectangle.  Place the blue dough on top of the brown dough and then shape into a ball and place into your basket to proof.

The dough will take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your room temperature and will only rise about 1/3 it’s size at most.  Let the dough dictate when it is read to bake not the clock.

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 535 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.

Right before you are ready to put them in the oven, score as desired and then add 1 cup of boiling water to your steam pan or follow your own steam procedure.

After 5 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake for 35-50 minutes until the crust is nice and brown and the internal temperature of the bread is 205 degrees.

Take the bread out of the oven when done and let it cool on a bakers rack before for at least 2 hours before eating.

Below are some photos of the echinacea blooming in the gardens.