Harvest Round Bread (Breadmaker)

This bread machine loaf is what fall tastes like in bread form. Whole wheat flour and oatmeal give it a hearty, grainy base, while shredded carrots, raisins, and chopped nuts add texture and natural sweetness throughout every slice.

Honey and molasses working together create a deeper, more complex sweetness than either alone. Honey keeps the crumb soft and moist; molasses adds a dark, almost malty quality and a golden-brown crust color that pure honey can’t achieve.

The carrots add moisture that keeps this dense bread from drying out, even days after baking. They virtually disappear into the crumb as the machine kneads, leaving behind only a faint sweetness and orange-flecked color.

Just load the ingredients into the bread machine pan, select your cycle, and walk away. The machine handles the mixing, kneading, rising, and baking over about three hours.

Kitchen Tips

• Add ingredients in the order your bread machine manual recommends. Most machines want liquids first, then dry ingredients, with yeast on top.
• Shred the carrots fine so they incorporate into the dough smoothly. Large shreds can create wet pockets.
• If your machine has a fruit/nut beep, add the raisins and nuts at that signal to prevent them from being pulverized during kneading.
• Let the loaf cool completely on a rack before slicing. Bread machine loaves are soft and tear easily when warm.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of ginger for a spiced harvest loaf.
• Swap raisins for dried cranberries for a tarter, more colorful bread.
• Use pecans or walnuts for the nut component to match the autumn theme.