Goat Cheese, Bacon and Olive Quick Bread

4.0

(12)

15 Reviews

Quick breads like this one by star blogger David Lebovitz are very popular in France, where they’re known as savory cakes. This one is packed with olives, cheese and bacon, and infused with cayennne. Slideshow: More Quick-Bread Recipes

By David Lebovitz

Updated on August 2, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Goat Cheese, Bacon and Olive Quick Bread — Photo: © Chris Court

Active Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Yield:

1 9-inch loaf

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Ingredients

6 ½ slices thick-cut bacon (cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cayenne ( to 2 teaspoons)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 eggs (large at room temperature)
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 ounces fresh goat cheese (crumbled)
1 ⅓ cups Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (freshly grated)
½ cup kalamata olives (pitted, halved lengthwise)
2 scallions (thinly sliced)
1 red serrano chile (seeded and minced)
2 teaspoons thyme leaves (minced)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; line the bottom with parchment paper. In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
In a bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, cayenne and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk, olive oil and mustard. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the egg mixture until just combined. Fold in the goat cheese, Parmigiano, olives, bacon, scallions, chile and thyme. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface.
Bake the bread until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the loaf to loosen it from the pan. Invert onto a plate and let cool completely. Cut the loaf into thick slices and serve.