Strawberry Buttermilk Bread with Rosemary

The local strawberries have recently taken a turn for the sweeter. We've been devouring huge piles of them as the warm weather settles in. I love them simply as they are, juicy and sweet and perfect.

But this week — hectic at home, and stressful across the country — I've been craving comfort food.

I turned the last of this week's strawberries into a not-too-sweet simple bread, almost savory with a sprinkling of rosemary. This buttermilk quick bread is lighter on the fat and sugar than your typical quick bread, and whole wheat flour makes it downright hearty. My kids, who are accustomed to sweeter quick breads, remain skeptical. But I think this one will grow on them.

This stores well for a few days or can be frozen for later. It's absolutely delicious with a bit of light cream cheese or marmalade on top. And while I call it "buttermilk" bread, I always make it with a cheater's version of buttermilk — usually low-fat milk thickened and soured with a bit of vinegar. Sometimes I blend milk with Greek yogurt instead. Both work beautifully.

Strawberry Buttermilk Bread with Rosemary

I coat the chopped strawberries with flour to keep them from clumping up the batter. It's an optional step, but helpful. Don't substitute frozen strawberries: You'll end up with gummy bread. This is adapted from a master recipe for buttermilk bread at The Kitchn.

1 cup plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, separated
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or substitute all-purpose flour)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
1 cup buttermilk (or stir 1 tablespoon white vinegar into 1 cup milk and let stand a few minutes)
1 large egg
1/4 cup olive oil, vegetable oil, or melted butter
1 1/2 cups strawberries, washed, dried, and diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine all-purpose and white whole wheat flour, reserving extra 1/4 cup of flour for later. Stir in sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and rosemary. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and oil. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry.

In a small bowl, gently stir strawberries into reserved 1/4 cup of flour. Spoon strawberries into a mesh strainer to sift out extra flour.

Carefully fold strawberries into batter, then pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. (If the loaf is getting too brown, tent it with foil.) Let bread cool before removing from pan.