Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Quick Bread
The smell of sizzling bacon wafting up the stairs is enough to get any member of my family 
leaping from their beds in the morning without hesitation. The salty, savory slices don’t last long and I usually end up short changed with just the scraps to eat and the oily remnants in the pan to clean up.
Here at the zen of slow cooking we’ve been serving up our slow cooker quick bread samples for 4 years to demonstrate the versatility of the slow cooker. The appeal lies in their moistness and simplicity. The slow cooker does not yield a browned, cracked crust, but a firm, moist texture. The recipe involves a straight forward methodology and as with our overnight oatmeal post last week is suitable for sweet and savory variations.
Now back to the bacon. This week our quick bread incorporates bite sized pieces of bacon and shredded cheese brought together in a bread like batter using buttermilk. So why use buttermilk in baking? A slightly acidic batter helps keep baked goods moist and tender by breaking down long, tough strands of gluten. This bread has a light texture, similar to a savory scone.
Serve warm in thick slices with a smear of butter.
From experience we have learned that the loaves retain their optimum freshness when wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
For sweet variations increase the sugar to 1/2 cup and replace the cheese and bacon with fruit and nuts.
- 2 cups / 10 oz all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
- 1/4 cup / 2 oz unsalted butter, softened (olive oil, or vegetable oil)
- 1 cup / 8 oz buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 6 slices / 6oz of good quality bacon, cooked, chopped with fat removed
- 2 cups / 10 oz all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1/4 cup / 2 oz unsalted butter, softened (olive oil, or vegetable oil)
- 1 cup / 8 oz buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray a standard 9x5 loaf pan.
- in a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, mustard powder, salt & cheese
- in a separate bowl add the butter/oil & whisk the buttermilk and the egg into the butter/oil
- pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients
- stir gently until a thick batter is formed
- fold the bacon pieces into the batter and spoon into the loaf pan
- lay a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom of the slow cooker
- place the loaf pan on top of the foil
- replace the slow cooker lid and turn to HIGH for 2 hours
- grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray a standard 9x5 loaf pan.
- in a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda , salt & poppy seeds
- in a separate bowl add the butter/oil & whisk the buttermilk, egg, lemon zest, juice, extract and vanilla into the butter/oil
- pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients
- stir gently until a thick batter is formed
- spoon into the loaf pan
- lay a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom of the slow cooker
- place the loaf pan on top of the foil
- replace the slow cooker lid and turn to HIGH for 2 hours
“Rather go to bed supperless, than run in debt for a Breakfast.”
– Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) ‘Poor Richard’s Almanac’
