Mediterranean Loaf

There's nothing like a Saturday afternoon baking marathon. I was in quickbread mood and cranked out three different varieties: two sweet, one savory.

My favorite? The savory Mediterranean loaf...guaranteed to knock the socks off your guests at your next dinner party. Serve it with a meal instead of the regular bread basket. You could also slice it up and serve it on a platter to accompany hors'deurves. The combination of flavors from the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese is amazing. And the best part is how incredibly easy it is to make.

The basic science of a quick bread is you mix the dry ingredients together, and the wet ingredients together. Then you pour the wet over the dry, mix just to incorporate (don't overmix!!), pour in loaf pan, and bake. It's that simple.

For the Mediterranean loaf, stir together 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 teaspoons baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1/2 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, 1/3 cup sliced ripe olives, and 3 minced garlic cloves. In another bowl, beat 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, and 3 tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Pour wet ingredients over dry, and mix just until combined. Spoon the batter in to a greased loaf pan and bake for 70 to 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and turn out to cool completely on a rack.

You will want to make this over and over again...I promise!

Comments

[Greta]

Must make mediterranean loaf! Happens to have "a few of my favorite things", cannot wait to give it try.