makes 1 dozen rolls
On the farm in Oregon where I first learned to make long-fermented bread, the last vegetables we pulled from the ground in winter were carrots. They were a far cry from the small, skinny, sweet early season carrots. These were big, ugly, starchy, and woody. But they had gone through a lot to get to that stage, so we figured they must be good for something, and juice was an obvious answer.
Thinking back on those days as I created new breads for this book, I considered making a starter and dough with carrot juice. The starches would turn to sugar and provide unique fermentation notes. To complement the juice, I decided to dice additional carrots, roast them until caramelized, and fold them into the dough. This recipe is the result, yielding rolls with a beautiful balance of sweetness and earthiness and an amber-orange crumb. Their rich, full flavor speaks well for the end of the harvest season. Note that for this recipe you’ll need to juice about 750 grams (about 1 pound, 101/2 oz) carrots, or 24 fluid ounces of high-quality bottled carrot juice.