Sourdough Carrot Cake Focaccia with Fresh Milled Flour

This tangy sourdough carrot cake focaccia with fresh milled flour is soft, lightly sweet, and warmly spiced. A wholesome twist on an indulgent bread that might just count as dessert.

I made this sweet focaccia on a whim during a sourdough baking streak. This naturally leavened dough is airy and chewy, paired with shredded carrots and a cream cheese glaze, and is the perfect crossover for brunch and dessert. This isn’t just carrot cake in bread form. It’s lighter, more textured, and deeply flavorful thanks to a long fermentation.

Looking for more fresh milled flour recipes? Our Texas Roadhouse Rolls and Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits are always a hit, English Muffins or Cornbread never disappoint, or try your hand at Milk Bread or Homemade Ciabatta.

Want more breakfast ideas? Give our Sourdough Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin, Raisin, & Pecan Muffins, Sourdough Stick Pecan Buns, Fluffy Pancakes, Sourdough Discard Maple Nut Granola, or Chocolate Beet Muffins a try.

New to baking with freshly milled flour? Take a walk through our Beginner’s Guide or our Grain Guide.

Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Carrot Cake Focaccia

• Naturally leavened with active sourdough starter (no commercial yeast)
• Made with fresh milled whole wheat flour for flavor and nutrition
• Soft and fluffy inside with golden, lightly crisp edges
• Gently sweetened and perfectly tangy
• Perfect for brunch, spring gatherings, or Easter tables

Sourdough Carrot Cake Focaccia Recipe

Tools

• Grain Mill
• Stand Mixer with Dough Hook
• Danish Whisk
• Shredder or grater (or a food process that shreds)
• 9×13-inch Baking Pan
• Kitchen Scale
• Plastic Wrap
• Olive Oil (for greasing pan)
• Small Mixing Bowl
• Hand Mixer
• Spatula

Ingredients

Dough

• 100g Active Sourdough Starter
• 440g Water, cool
• 20g Honey or Maple Syrup
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 550g Hard White Wheat
• 15g Coconut Oil (can sub olive, avocado oil, or melted butter)
• 10g Salt
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 150-200g Shredded Carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
• 45g Raisins

Dimpling

• 25g Water
• 15g Olive Oil (or melted butter)

Cinnamon Sugar Pecan Filling

• 100g Pecans, chopped (optional)
• 150g Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves

Cream Cheese Icing

• 56g Cream Cheese, softened
• 38g Butter, softened
• 120g Powdered Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• 1g Vanilla Extract
• 45g Milk

Notes

• This recipe is written for an overnight bulk fermentation, but my home is a cool 68 degrees. The dough is quite tangy because of the long bulk ferment. If you want less tang, you can reduce the bulk rise time to 4-6 hours or try using only 20g of starter (be sure to add back in 40g water and 40g wheat to the recipe to account for less starter) for a slower ferment.
• If your home is much warmer, try making this recipe during the day and let it rise for 4-6 hours before shaping it in the pan. If needed, you can refrigerate after bulk fermentation for a deeper flavor and flexible baking.
• Let your freshly milled flour cool before adding to the slurry; we want the dough to be relatively cool before bulk rising.
• Not a raisin fan? Leave them out. Prefer walnuts, easy swap!
• Watch the sourdough carrot cake focaccia while baking. If the pecans are browning too quickly, tent with foil to prevent burned nuts.
• Add milk a tablespoon at a time to icing; you may find you want less or more, depending if you want a thick icing or a thinner glaze.

How to Make Sourdough Carrot Cake Focaccia with Fresh Milled Flour

Make Dough

Autolyse: Mix together water, honey, vanilla, and starter. Add milled flour and mix into a shaggy dough. Cover and let rest 30 minutes (this helps hydrate fresh milled flour).

Knead the Dough: After resting, add coconut oil, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Knead 5-10 minutes, or until just about windowpane. Add in shredded carrots and raisins at the end of kneading, and let them get kneaded in for a few seconds. Cover and let rest 15-20 minutes.

Coil Fold: Perform a set of cold folds to situate and structure the gluten and inclusions. The dough will feel slightly tacky from the extra carrot moisture. If you think you need it, you can cover and let the dough rest another 15-20 minutes and perform another round of coil folds.

Bulk Fermentation: Cover and bulk ferment at room temperature overnight (8-10 hours), depending on your kitchen temperature (mine is 68 degrees, so it’s pretty cool). If your home is warmer or you like less tang, you can make this recipe during the day and let it bulk rise for 4-6 hours.

Filling: At end of bulk ferment, mix chopped pecans, brown sugar, and spices in a small bowl and set aside.

Shape

Transfer and Fill: The dough should be jiggly and slightly domed. Coat a 9×13-inch pan generously with olive oil (10-15 grams). Transfer the dough into the pan and gently press it into a rough square. Put half of the cinnamon sugar pecan mixture on half the dough, then fold it over itself.

Shape and Rise: Gently press the dough out to fill the entire pan. If it resists, let it rest 15 minutes and try again. Cover and allow to rise for 2–4 hours until puffy and airy.

Dimple: Preheat oven to 500°F. Drizzle the olive oil and water for dimpling over the risen dough. Then sprinkle on the remaining cinnamon sugar pecan mixture. Using your fingers, gently press deep dimples across the entire surface. Don’t be shy! I like to give it a little massage as I dimple. Just don’t break through the dough to the bottom of the pan.

Bake Sourdough Carrot Cake Focaccia

Bake: Before placing the focaccia in the oven, turn the temperature down to 450 degrees! Then bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches about 205-210°F.

Cool: Let your baked focaccia cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then remove the carrot cake focaccia from the pan and place it on a cooling rack to finish cooling for 30-45 minutes.

Make Cream Cheese Icing: While it’s cooling, mix up the icing. Beat softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and enough milk to create a spreadable glaze or icing. Thickness is up to you.

Frost and Serve: Drizzle (or cover) with your cream cheese icing. Normal rules say to wait until it’s completely cooled to frost and slice, but what fun is that? We like to cut and serve while still warm! Warm glaze melting everywhere is the best, and a little bit of gooey goodness is always fun.

Slice into squares. Place any uneaten sourdough carrot cake focaccia back in the pan and cover for storage.

Sourdough Carrot Cake Variations

• Brown Butter Glaze: Swap regular butter for cooled browned butter in the glaze for a nutty depth.
• Orange-Spiced: Add orange zest to the dough and a splash of orange juice to the glaze.

This sourdough carrot cake focaccia brings together everything I love about baking: fresh milled flour, slow fermentation, warm spices, and a texture that’s somewhere between bread and cake.

It’s special but not fussy. Rustic but pretty. And it makes your kitchen smell amazing! If you try it, I’d love to know how you tweak it. Add-ins? Extra spice?