Terry Magestro entered this bread in the Wisconsin State Fair. Her mother baked leftover vegetables into all kinds of breads, and this loaf carries on the tradition. The dough also makes excellent (and colorful) dinner rolls.
In a medium saucepan, combine the carrot purée, brown sugar, butter, and salt and heat just until warm and the butter is almost melted. Remove from the heat, and transfer to the bowl of your mixer. Add the water, whole wheat flour, and yeast; mix well.
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Add the all-purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Use the last 1/4 cup to adjust the dough's consistency while kneading.
Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turn over, then cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
After the first rise, deflate the dough and shape it into a loaf. Place in a greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Cover with greased plastic, and let rise until it domes 1" above the rim of the pan.
While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center reads 190°F when measured with a digital thermometer. Remove from the oven, tip the bread out of its pan, and cool on a rack before slicing.
Want to make this bread with the help of your bread machine? Place the dough ingredients into your machine in the order listed and choose the dough or manual cycle. When the cycle is done, remove the risen dough and shape and bake as directed in the recipe above. Note: Due to the many brands of bread machines on the market and their different features, we can’t guarantee you can bake this bread start to finish in your own machine; please use the dough or manual cycle instead.
To cook your carrots, peel and roughly chop your carrots. Add them to a saucepan of boiling water and cook until fork-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the liquid and then blend them into a smooth purée using an immersion blender, food processor, or blender.
