The lighter taste and texture of strawberries creates a perfect balance to the heavier, metallic flavor of malted loaf. Add a bit of dates for extra richness and enjoy a slice with a cup of tea in the afternoon.
I am so excited to present you with my second recipe for a new group I joined called #twelveloaves. In this group we bake a bread every month with the addition of the monthly theme flavor or ingredient. This month we were asked to add malt.
Yeast breads are preferred but quick breads are also welcomed. Since I prepared this recipe quickly before running off on holiday I did a quick bread this month using a seasonal berry, strawberries, and dates.
My loaf was greatly inspired by this recipe over at Parsley, Sage and Sweet. Lisa ran a great blog and I was sad when she decided to put the blog aside. She was truly one of my favorite blogs to read and I had the pleasure to exchange with her privately many times. What a fluke to find her post when searching for malted loaves. She published her loaf for the inaugural rebranding of this very group when it took on the name twelve loaves 3 years ago in August. I thought it was a sign and most appropriate. Funny enough her use of malt was a coincidence since the theme at that time was summer fruits.
Malt extract is a sweet, treacly ingredient (like molasses) used as a dietary supplement. It was popular in the first half of the twentieth century as a supplement for the children of the British urban working-class, whose diet was often deficient in vitamins and minerals. Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as “malting”. The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air. By doing so enzymes are developed which modify the grain’s starches into sugars.
Malt is used to make beer, whisky, malted shakes, malt vinegar, candies, flavored drinks, and some baked goods. Barley is the most common cereal used o make malt.
I was very pleased with the results of this bread. I am already a big fan of anything with molasses so malt just gave it that extra edge in flavor. The strawberries brought the loaf a lighter and tangier taste. The dates were a great substitute for decadent chocolate.
Strawberry and Date Malted Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 40 g unsalted butter melted
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp malt extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberry halved
- 1/2 cup chopped dates
- flour for coating the strawberries and extra strawberries for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a loaf pan by greasing and flouring it.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda salt and sugar in a bowl.
- In a small bowl mix the melted butter, egg, malt extract and sour cream.
- Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, it will be a thick batter.
- Toss the strawberries and dates with a bit of flour and shake off any excess (this prevents the fruit from sinking). Fold strawberries and dates gently into the batter.
- Pour batter into the loaf pan and top with fresh whole strawberries.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool before slicing.
#TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Cake Duchess and runs smoothly with the help of Heather of girlichef, and the rest of our fabulous bakers.
Our host this month is Heather from girlichef, and our theme is Malt. For more bread recipes, visit the #TwelveLoaves Pinterest board, or check out last month’s selection of #TwelveLoaves Jewish Breads!
- Chocolate Malt Baked Donuts from The Redhead Baker
- Chocolate Malt Sweet Rolls from HostessAtHeart
- Danish seeded rye bread with malted flour from The Bread She Bakes
- Demi Baguettes from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Fruit and Malt Loaf from Cake Duchess
- Laugenbrezel from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Malted Guinness Beer Bread from girlichef
- Strawberry and Date Malted Loaf from Cheap Ethnic Eatz
If you’d like to bake along with us this month, share your Malt Bread using hashtag #TwelveLoaves!
wow , this looks so delicious ! thanks !
I don’t know if you know this Evelyne, but I am definitely not a bread person. But girl, you are making me a believer for some strange reason lol. I don’t know why but lets just go with it lol. I may actually try this.
Malted extract? That’s a new one on me. I can only imagine the flavor it adds to the strawberries and dates, which is a great combination in itself. Great loaf!
Picture-perfect loaf, Evelyne! Simply stunning.
Thank you Viviane 🙂
This looks truly delectable – I love fruit breads that aren’t terribly sweet. Definitely giving this a try!
Oh this would be perfect for you than Donalyn!
I would have never thought Malt was similar to molasses, which I absolutely love. I may have to give it a try. Ans this loaf Evelyne… girl this is amazing. I wish I had this for breakfast this morning.
Thanks Kia and hope you give malt a try!
I loved Lisa’s blog too and was sad when she had to give it up although I can understand the amount of time it needed. Great pick of her recipes! 😀
Thank Lorraine, she is truly missed indeed.
I love using malt extract in my recipes, and this bread looks fantastic. I think I should join in with this group 🙂
Oh Tandy, hope you join that would be awesome.
I wanna eat da CRUST! I love crustttt! lol!
I’ll fight you for it Gigi lol, ok half half
What a marvelous loaf! Lisa had the best recipes—I miss her, too.
Well I sent Lisa this post, so nice to hear from her!
It’s just now strawberry season in northern Australia and I can’t wait to pair some up with dates for this lovely bread!
Thanks Maureen hope you try it
Your strawberry and date loaf is amazing… Welcome back my dear, pinned.
Thank you and welcome back to you to!
Welcome back! And just in time — we’re hungry. 😉 And what a great dish you’ve made for us today! This looks so good — love that you’ve used dates in it. Thanks!
Thank you for the warm welcome and so glad you are salivating 🙂
Beautiful looking loaf. Dates and strawberries together…wow! I really want to make this.
I hope you do make it, let me know how it turns out!
This loaf looks fantastic! I love the combo of dates and strawberries..juicy, naturally sweet and delicious.
I was surprised too by the combo, thanks Angie
Bonjour Evelyne and your strawberry and date loaf looks delicious! Pinned and shared!
Thanks Joanne glad you liked ti and shared!
How cool is that that this bread was from the first Twelve Loaves!! Looks beautiful and sounds tasty!
I know love how I fell on it, thanks for stopping by.
Oh, strawberries are dates are such a lovely combo, I really must try them together. And you know I love malt, so it looks like I need to be the next one to bake this loaf! Looks like you had an awesome vacay, I’m happy that you still got to join us this month. 🙂
So glad it look good Heather and yep the trip was fab, a post on that soon!
Beautiful loaf!
Thanks Robin!
That’s so funny…I thought this loaf looked familiar. I was JUST thinking of LIsa again today (I think of her often)and so miss her recipes and creativity. Back to this loaf…this is gorgeous, Evelyne! I’m going to make this and think of you and LIsa!
Thank Lora and nice to hear Lisa is missed by many. Too funny the loaf looked familiar!
I love the look of this loaf! Thanks for sharing, Evelyne.
So glad you like it Camilla!
This bread really looks delicious! I have a strawberry patch that a squirrel keeps feasting on as soon as they start to get ripe!
Thanks Julie. Try sprinkling a bit of cayenne pepper on your strawberry patch!
This bread is packed with flavors. Have fun in your vacations!
Thanks Katerina, and alas I am back…back to reality 🙁