Carrot Bread

At first I thought "well this is just a weird idea . . . but I'll try it." I have a hard time not completing a list when I've set my mind to it and Jim Lahey's cookbook keeps glaring at me from the kitchen bookshelf, taunting me with recipes yet untried. So, I dove in.

Basically this artisan style bread is Lahey's regular recipe with fresh carrot juice replacing the water and mixing in currants (okay I used raisins -- I just never seem to have currants in the house, I somehow can't remember to buy them) and walnuts. James asked for raisin bread the other day so it seemed like the right time for this recipe.

At first glance the bright orange crumb of this loaf seems like a natural for Halloween gatherings and I timidly tasted what I feared would be a loaf style carrot cake (I can't help it, I just don't like carrot cake -- I don't know if James does or not, I never make it for him). Instead the loaf had a subtle sweetness that seemed more like a faint brown sugar or molasses flavor. Although there is no granulated sugar in this recipe the natural sugars in the juice seem to make the loaf brown more easily and I think next time I would shorten the uncovered baking time-- but yes, there will be a next time.