Strawberry Bread

Strawberry Bread

by Rebbekkah Fisher

Adapted from Pike’s Place

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups light vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, or soy

2 cups fresh strawberries, prepared as described in the Cook’s Hint, below, or 2 cups frozen, unsweetened, sliced strawberries, thawed

1 1/4 cups chopped hazelnuts or pecans

fresh whipped topping

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease two 5-by 9-inch loaf pans or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

 

2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Whisk until the cinnamon is dispersed throughout the flour. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, then mix in the oil, strawberries, and hazelnuts with a fork.

 

3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, stirring just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

4. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Turn out the loaves, slice into 8 slices per loaf, and serve as desired with whipped cream.

 

Cook’s Hint: If using fresh berries, make sure they are very ripe and juicy. Halve or quarter the berries, then gently mash them with a fork to start the juices flowing. Let the berries sit at room temperature for 1 hour before adding to the wet ingredients. You can also substitute frozen, sweetened berries, but reduce the 2 cups of sugar to 1 1/2 cups.