Makes one 8½-inch or 9½-inch loaf—Adapted from bills restaurant via Baking Bites
While I find that most quick breads are really cake in disguise, this is more like bread. It's sweet but not too sweet, heavy and dense but not too dense (this is not a light and fluffy cake!), nicely moist, and altogether scrumptious any time of day. If you've never tasted natural, unsweetened coconut, you're in for a real treat. The coconut flavor really comes through, and unlike the sweetened stuff, it doesn't contain preservatives like propylene glycol and sodium metabisulfite.
A slice is very nice all by itself, but something truly amazing happens when you toast it and slather it with butter, which is how they serve it at bills. As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients; they really do make a difference.
A note about loaf pans: Sizes vary! In the U.S., loaf pans are generally referred to as 8-inch and 9-inch, but the actual dimensions (measured across the top) of my Chicago Metallic 8-inch loaf pans (which they simply call 1-pound loaf pans) are 8½" x 4½" and 2¾" tall. If your pan is smaller than this, use a larger size for this recipe or the batter may overflow.
2½ cups organic all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)
½ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups granulated sugar
2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
2 large real farm eggs
¾ cup organic milk
½ cup fresh organic lemon juice
1 Tablespoon organic lemon zest (or more if you want a bigger kick of lemon)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup (1 stick or ¼ pound) organic butter, melted
1. Heat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour an 8x4 inch or 9x5 inch loaf pan. (I love my Chicago Metallic commercial loaf pans for baking both quick breads and sandwich loaves like Farmhouse White.)
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt using a rubber spatula, then stir in the sugar and coconut.
3. In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture, stirring just until combined.
5. Add the melted butter and stir just until smooth; do not over mix.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 60 to 75 minutes. Ovens vary, so start checking for doneness after about 60 minutes (50 minutes if you're using a 9x5 inch pan). If the top of the loaf is getting very brown and the center isn't cooked yet, cover the loaf lightly with a piece of aluminum foil.
7. Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes and then carefully remove it from the pan. Try not to slice into the loaf until it's completely cool, but that probably won't be possible. Store in an airtight container for 3 days or wrap in plastic and/or aluminum foil, pop in a plastic zipper bag, and freeze.
Recipe source: FarmgirlFare.com
Recipe © FarmgirlFare.com
