Description
Rustic Italian quick bread celebrates Asiago & sun-dried tomato flavors with hearty, savory character. Cheese and herbs mingle in a simple loaf that delivers robust Mediterranean comfort for home bakers seeking authentic regional taste.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (190g) shredded asiago cheese
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 mL) cold buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 5 tbsps (71g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ⅓ cup (50g) chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- ¼ cup (6g) chopped fresh basil or parsley
- 1 tbsp (12g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preparation: Warm the oven to 375°F and delicately lubricate a standard loaf pan to prevent adhesion.
- Liquid Integration: Whisk liquid ingredients until seamlessly blended, creating a harmonious emulsion.
- Dry Component Mixing: Sift all dry ingredients into a capacious mixing bowl, ensuring uniform distribution of seasonings and rising agents.
- Butter Incorporation: Introduce cold butter using a precise cutting technique, transforming the mixture into a granular consistency reminiscent of coarse cornmeal.
- Cheese and Tomato Infusion: Delicately fold asiago cheese and sun-dried tomatoes throughout the crumbly foundation, ensuring balanced dispersion.
- Liquid Combination: Gently introduce buttermilk into the dry mixture, stirring with measured strokes to develop a robust, textured batter showcasing cheese and tomato fragments.
- Baking Process: Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared pan, leveling the surface and optionally embellishing with additional cheese or fresh cracked pepper.
- Oven Transformation: Bake until the exterior develops a rich golden-brown hue and a inserted toothpick emerges clean, strategically covering with foil if surface browns too rapidly.
- Cooling and Serving: Allow the bread to rest momentarily in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack, permitting structural stabilization before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Butter Cutting Technique: Use cold butter and employ a precise cutting motion to create a cornmeal-like texture, crucial for achieving the bread’s signature crumbly consistency.
- Cheese Distribution Tip: Fold asiago and sun-dried tomatoes gently to ensure even spread throughout the batter, preventing clumping and creating balanced flavor in every slice.
- Baking Surface Protection: Watch bread color carefully and cover with foil if browning too quickly, preventing burnt edges while maintaining a perfect golden exterior.
- Cooling Critical Step: Let bread rest in pan briefly before transferring to cooling rack, allowing structural stability and preventing potential crumbling when slicing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 11g
- Cholesterol: 70mg