Fresh Fig Bread

The figs are starting to ripen so I have a few.  Not enough to make fig preserves but definitely enough to eat fresh and make this delicious bread.  I leave the figs in larger larger pieces because of the texture that the fruit adds to the bread.  You can add 1/2 cup of  toasted walnuts or almonds, tossed with a small amount of flour, to the batter, if you like.  We do not usually add any type of nuts to quick breads but that is because we do not care for the texture.  This will make either 2 large loafs or three small ones.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3 Eggs
2 1/2 cups Sugar
1/2 cup Sour Milk (!/2 teaspoon Sepay Groves Raspberry Vinegar+balance of fresh milk)
3/4 cup of Sepay Groves Olive Oil
3 cups Flour
2 teaspoons BAKING SODA (yes, like Arm and Hammer)
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
2 cups of Coarsely Chopped Fresh Figs
zest of 1 Lemon 

Grease and flour the bread loaf pans and set aside.

Beat eggs and sugar together, in a large mixing bowl.  Combine Sour Milk and olive oil, in another bowl.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Add 1/3 of  flour mixture and combine.  Alternate with 1/2 of milk mixture. Repeat ending with flour mixture.  Stir in chopped figs and lemon zest.
Divide the batter evenly between the bread pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until cake tester, inserted in the center, comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully run the edge of a dull knife along the inside of the bread pan.  Remove to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Deloris