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Date-Nut Bread
Chopped pitted dates and cut pieces of butter soak together in a cup of boiling water before anything else happens — that step softens the fruit and melts the fat in one go, creating a naturally sweet and rich liquid base for the batter. Coarsely chopped walnuts fold in with the flour, sugar, and leavening, then the loaf bakes for a total of 3 hours including prep. Sliced into 16 portions, the dense crumb holds up well to cream cheese or salted butter without crumbling.
Equipment
- Oven
- Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 1½ cups chopped pitted dates
- 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces
- 1 cups boiling water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup walnuts (4 ounces), coarsely chopped
Instructions
- 1Place the chopped dates and butter pieces into a medium bowl, then pour the boiling water over them. Let the mixture sit until it cools completely. This softens the dates and creates a rich, sweet base for the batter.
- 2Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease a 9 by 5-inch metal loaf pan.
- 3Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Mix the lightly beaten egg into the cooled date and butter mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring just until the flour is moistened. Overmixing will make the bread tough. Gently fold in the chopped walnuts.
- 4Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- 5Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and allow it to cool completely on the rack before slicing.
Notes
- Serving: Enjoy thick slices plain, toasted with salted butter, or spread generously with cream cheese.
- Storage: Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze the whole loaf or individual slices wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months.
- Yield: This recipe makes one 9x5-inch loaf, which cuts into about 16 slices.
