Lemon-Strawberry Bread

Walker was beyond happy to see this last week:

One tiny ripe strawberry. First of the year! The heat wave earlier this week paid off, the strawberries are putting on flowers like crazy. I have planted a mix of June Bearers and Ever Bearers so that the kids get a supply for months to pick – having counted today I gave up at 100 plants. Oops. I think I went crazy this year but really, can one have too many strawberry plants when they have hungry toddlers and squirrels? I figure the number is between 150 and 175 🙂 This is what makes gardening worth it: “Mama, more stwaberry?”

I had an idea for a strawberry bread, a quick bread, that would be adult in taste, but Walker would scarf it down. My first try tasted wonderful but was too wet and I baked it in the wrong size loaf pan. The big issue was I used frozen strawberries that try. So back to the kitchen for version 2 with fresh berries! Use a really slippery non-stick pan, oil liberally and let rest before removing the loaf to avoid it falling apart, it is a moist cake bread. Oh whatever, even if it falls apart and isn’t all pretty it is still great tasting….really, really great tasting!

Lemon-Strawberry Bread

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 6-ounce containers strawberry yogurt
• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 lemons zested and juiced (reserve juice)
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, chopped, divided
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°, liberally oil a non-stick standard bread pan (9″x5″ size). Cut a piece of parchment paper to run lengthwise, place in and lightly oil the paper.

Measure out 1½ cups strawberries, reserve. Strain lemon juice, add 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon sugar and remaining strawberries into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium, cook for a few minutes, remove from heat and cool. Strain and set aside.

Whisk dry ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk yogurt through olive oil till smooth. Stir in dry ingredients until just mixed.

Toss the 1½ cups strawberries with flour, fold into batter. Scrape gently into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, until a butter knife comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes, turn out and brush the glaze over the bottom and side. Let sit for 15 or so minutes, flip over and glaze top. Finish cooling before slicing. Store covered.

Makes 1 loaf.

~Sarah

PS: Sorry for not posting yesterday, we had a freak wind/thunderstorm that knocked our power out most of the day and night. It was a pretty intense storm!

FTC Disclaimer: We received complimentary product used in the development of this recipe.