Savory Cheddar Olive Bread

Running out of yeast during the pandemic (what is that all about?!)? Make a savory quick bread. This loaf goes so well with deviled eggs, or tuna salad, or you name your favorite. You can even toast it.

Quick to make, this recipe is an amalgamation of several similar preps from Melissa Clark of the NYT. But I got jamming' with the topping and couldn't resist adding jalapeños and sun-dried tomatoes.

Dry ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all purpose white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp black toasted sesame seeds

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Wet ingredients:

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

3/4 cup good real mayonnaise

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves

2 small cloves garlic

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 dozen pitted black kalamata olives

2 Tbsp julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained

2 Tbsp jarred pickled jalapeno pepper slices

4 oz grated aged cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp roasted garlic and onion jam (I used Trader Joe’s)

Garnish:

2 Tbsp roasted garlic and inion jam

1 sprig fresh rosemary

2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a larger bowl. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Add rosemary, garlic and thyme to a small food processor and mince. Add to the wet ingredients. Now add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes and jalapeños to the same processor and pulse 6-8 times, just enough to coarsely chop the veggies.

Turn the dry ingredients into the wet. Add the olive mixture and the grated cheese. Fold the batter together - it with be rather firm, sticky and dense - not a wet, moist batter at all.

Transfer batter to the loaf pan and spread evenly - it should fill about half the pan.

Now dot the batter with the jam. Garnish with additional rosemary and thyme leaves, if desired.

Bake about 40 mins until golden brown. The internal temperature of the bread should be about 175-180F as read by an instant read thermometer.

Makes 1 loaf.

Cook's Note: I love Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic and Onion jam, but it may not be available to you. You could easily substitute any number of great jams - onion or fig - from may other manufacturers, like Stonewall Kitchens or other boutique sources.

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