How is August sorta kinda almost over? It’s crazy to me, but I also just feel really zoned out right now. Zoned out isn’t exactly the right word, I just feel very out of it, like I can’t focus.
I guess I feel uninspired. Usually by now I have pretty much all of next years recipes laid out and waiting to be tested, but do you know how many I have? One. ONE. One recipe out of at least 50. Yikes. My “deadline” is November, but I feel that putting a deadline on this kind of a thing isn’t ideal. I’m all for due dates, but I feel you shouldn’t put a deadline on something creative. I’m gonna sound like a really stuck up “tortured genius” when I say this, but my recipes kinda just come to me. It really doesn’t work to just sit down at a desk and try and come up with food ideas.
So, we’re just gonna trust that I’ll wake up at like 3 AM and be struck with an idea that I need to write down. It’s kinda crazy where some of my food inspo comes from, but hey, you take what you can get.
Anyway, we’re all set for the rest of this year which is good. But let’s slow down for a second and instead of looking months and months in the future, let’s talk about the now. And the now is this bread. This bread is now.
This was a very satisfying recipe to test. On the first trial, it was ok but just kind of underwhelming and dry. The second try I changed one tiny little thing and suddenly it became one of my favorite recipes for this month.
Describe this Bread to Me
Taste: The bread itself has warming spices and brown sugar, with a delicious contrast from the brighter pops of orange. Then you have a little natural sweetness from the figs, and a little nuttiness from the crumble topping.
Texture: The bread is unbelievably soft and tender, with a moist crumb. Plus you’ve got little pops of chewy figs and a little crunch from the crumble on top.
Ease: Like the name implies, this bread is quick. No rising or shaping or kneading or any of that nonsense. Just whip up a quick batter, top it with a simple crumble, and throw it in the oven.
Citrus + Cinnamon?
Ok so citrus is technically more in season in the colder months. But I feel like people associate it with summer cuz it’s typically used as a more sweet and refreshing flavor. But when you pair it with cinnamon, suddenly it’s like it transforms into a brand new flavor. The bright sweetness of the orange mixes with the deep, warm flavor of the cinnamon for the perfect fall treat. But I feel like it’s subtly fall, so don’t come for me saying that it’s August and therefor too soon. It’s subtle.
The Batter
This batter is a pretty straightforward and standard one. There are a few things worth mentioning though. First of all, we are using my favorite trick which is rubbing the orange zest with the sugar. This releases all those extra flavorful oils found in the zest and really brings out that pop of citrus. We use salted butter for a cozier taste, and sour cream and orange juice for the most tender and moist texture. Also, make sure you chop your figs on the smaller side, otherwise they may all sink to the bottom.
The Crumble
I have to say, I have learned how to make a pretty good crumble. If you’re starting to make your own recipes, I bet a crumble is one of the first things you’ll do without a recipe. Its a super simple ratio, just 1/4 cup of every ingredient (except cinnamon obviously). Salted butter, brown sugar, oats, flour, and walnuts for crunch, plus a little dash of cinnamon for flavor, give you an extremely simple but oh so delicious topping for your bread.
Spiced Orange and Fig Quick Bread
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with butter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, rub the orange zest into the granulated sugar. Add the egg, melted butter, sour cream, orange juice, milk, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until just combined. Fold in the chopped dried figs. Pour/scoop the batter into the previously prepared pan. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl using a spatula, mix together the butter, sugar, oats, flour, walnuts, and cinnamon until you have a crumbly, slightly sticky texture (watch the video above for a reference.) Crumble this mixture evenly over the batter.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the bread cool completely in the pan before serving.
- Bread lasts for up to 4 days covered with foil and stored in the refrigerator.