Here’s another one to add to your favorite carrot recipes! Finnish Carrot Bread Rolls! These bread rolls are a comforting combo of softness and sweetness, and they’re not even that complicated to prepare!
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This was a bit of a surprise for me.
I’ve been living in Stockholm for more than ten years now, been traveling back and forth in the entire Nordics, and have not seen a single vegetable used in any Nordic bread – until now.
It’s always seeds, nuts, or dried fruits. Not vegetable.
Maybe in newer recipes or with some fusion. But these carrot rolls, they’re traditional bread rolls from Finnish cuisine. It goes way, way, waaayyy back.
Ingredients
- Flour – no need to use bread flour for this recipe. I have always used all-purpose flour, and the result has always been moist carrot bread rolls.
- Honey – molasses is a great substitute in case you don’t have any honey available.
Instructions
Start by combining warm milk with yeast and set aside until ready (photo 1).
Using the mixer bowl, combine flour, salt, grated carrots, and honey. Use the paddle attachment to mix (photo 2).
Add the yeast mixture, then mix to combine.
Add butter, and using a dough hook, mix until the dough becomes smooth. If the dough is too wet, add a tablespoon of flour (or two, one at a time).
Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl (photo 3).
Cover with a clean kitchen cloth and set aside until the size of the dough has doubled. This normally takes at least an hour for me.
Divide dough into twelve equal parts and form each part into a ball (photo 4).
Place each ball of dough on a baking pan with a baking sheet. Leave enough space in between each ball (photo 5).
Once all rolls are in the baking pan, cover with a clean kitchen cloth and set aside for thirty more minutes, or until each roll has doubled in size (photo 6).
Preheat oven to 200°C (375°F).
When the oven is ready, remove the kitchen cloth covering the rolls and place the baking pan in the middle of the oven.
Once the rolls have slightly darkened on top (takes twenty to twenty-five minutes), take the pan out of the oven. Set aside to cool slightly.
Serve.
Tips & FAQs
- If you want to see bits of carrots in the bread, do not grate them too finely, just like how I’ve shown it in the images above.
- The wetness of the dough will always vary because of the moisture in the grated carrots. So, do not hesitate to add a bit more flour when preparing the dough – that that’s just normal.
- You can absolutely knead the dough manually if you don’t have a stand mixer.
- CAN I USE A LOAF PAN INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM INTO ROLLS?
Absolutely. I tried that recently, and I was pleasantly surprised with the result.
If you want to try this, pay attention to your cooking time. You might need to adjust it, depending on the loaf tin’s size that you’re going to use slightly.
Lastly, if you want the top of the loaf to be darker or more golden, brush the top of the dough with an egg wash.
- WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH IT?
Butter, marmalade, or gorgonzola (or any blue cheese) – they all go well with these bread rolls.
That means these easy carrot bread rolls are great for breakfast, in-between, or after-meal snack! The drink then – coffee, tea, or wine – is up to you!
Do you want to try another Finnish dish that will bring you straight into Helsinki Market? Then Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) is your answer — you cannot get more authentic than this popular soup!
Finnish Carrot Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk, warm
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 & 1/2 cups carrots, grated, (about 2 medium-sized carrots)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 25 grams butter, unsalted, softened
Instructions
Preparing the dough:
- Combine warm milk and yeast. Mix and set aside.
- Combine all-purpose flour, salt, grated carrots, and honey in a mixer bowl. Use the paddle attachment to mix.
- Once the yeast mixture is ready, add to the mixer bowl and use a dough hook to mix.
- Add butter and mix until the dough becomes smooth. If the dough is too wet, add a tablespoon of flour (or two, one at a time).
- Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl.
- Cover with a clean kitchen cloth and set aside until the size of the dough has doubled. This normally takes at least an hour for me.
Preparing and baking carrot bread:
- Once the dough is ready, divide the dough into 12 equal portions and form each portion into a ball.
- Place each ball on a baking pan lined with a baking sheet. Leave enough space between each ball.
- Once all balls (rolls) are in the baking pan, cover with a clean kitchen cloth and set aside for 30 more minutes, or until each roll has doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 200°C (375°F).
- When the oven is ready, remove the kitchen cloth covering the rolls and place the baking pan in the middle of the oven.
- Take the carrot bread out of the oven after 20 to 25 minutes, or when the top of the bread turned darker.
- Set aside to cool slightly, then serve.
Notes
- There is no need to use bread flour to get a moist carrot bread; all-purpose flour will give you excellent results.
- Do not grate the carrots too finely if you want to see bits of them in the bread rolls.
- You can substitute molasses for honey if you prefer.
- Do not hesitate to add a bit more flour if the dough is too wet. The wetness of the dough will depend on the moisture from the grated carrots.
- Manual kneading of the dough is totally fine if you don’t have a stand mixer.
Naterlee says
Can you please clarify the amount of carrots please ?
Neriz says
Good grief! I was about to add ‘about 2 medium-sized carrots’ when I noticed it says ‘1 & 172 cups’?! It should have been 1 & 1/2 cups. All updated now. 🙂
Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention Naterlee! 🙂
Naterlee says
Awesome ty!! I have an excess of carrots that need using up so will look forward to giving these a try tomorrow ?
Naterlee says
Me again sorry does the butter go in the dough or brushed on the rolls? ? thanks
Neriz says
Oj! It goes in the dough. It’s now corrected. 🙂 No need to apologize Naterlee — my bad. Too much wine when I clicked ‘publish’ for the post. 😉
Hope you like the rolls! 🙂
Naterlee says
I guessed in the dough! just pulled them out the oven and inhaled two oopppsss. I did them 50/50 plain white and strong bread and put some thyme in too and they are AMAZING!
Naterlee says
*strong brown bread
Neha says
I am loving the sound of these carrot bread rolls and the fact that these use a very few ingredients. Thanks for this post.
Neriz says
Thanks Neha! 🙂
Christina Shoemaker says
I’ve seen anything like this before and it looks perfect!! Carrots and honey in there?! What a tasty idea! Perfect for Easter and Spring meals!
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says
I love these rolls! They look so soft and tasty. I’ve added veggies mixed into my biscuits but never in my rolls. Thanks for introducing me to this traditional recipe.
Susie says
When I read that you could spread gorgonzola over these rolls, I was in! What a yummy twist on a normal dinner roll. Thanks for the great recipe
Susie says
When I read that you could spread gorgonzola or blue cheese over these rolls, I was in! What a yummy twist on a normal dinner roll. Thanks for the great recipe
Michelle says
This is genius, I love carrots and would never have thought to make carrot rolls, I love the colors and texture looks amazing!
Michelle Blackwood says
Wow, I haven’t tried any Finnish bread but now I’m sold and I can’t wait to try it, I love the texture and the shredded carrots give the rolls a lovely color.
Jill says
This is such a unique recipe (at least to me). I like pretty much any kind of yeasted roll so I’d like to try these!
georgie says
wow these look amazing! I’ve never heard of them before! i always have a ton of carrots in our fridge that I never know what to do with, and now I do!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
These look awesome!! I actually wanted to make something with carrots today, but I looked in my fridge and they all went bad. 🙁 Gotta buy some more so that I can make these bread rolls!
Tracey Keeler says
wondering where I can find the history of these. would like to cook with my students and talk about its history.
Mindy says
Thank you for this recipe! My husband and I are staying at a hotel in Vantaa, Finland right now they served carrot bread this morning for breakfast. It was SO GOOD (especially with cloudberry jam or dipped in a little plain yogurt topped with luminaries!) I’m excited to try my hand at making it when I get home!
Neriz says
You’re welcome Mindy! Ooohh, good that you experience it first hand how the Finns enjoy this bread. Enjoy! 🙂