This spin on quick bread uses an underrated seasonal berry as well as orange zest and marmalade. Melted butter and sugar lend a light note of sweetness, but not too much. The recipe is perfect for a first-time bread baker, since all you need is a loaf pan and the right ingredients. Luckily, mulberries are easy to find in the weeks of high summer, once you start looking.
Picking the Best Mulberries
Mulberries have a lot of haters. But if you find ripe ones, they’re one of the easiest ways to take advantage of the urban foraging trend. They grow on many urban streets across the mid-Atlantic region from June to August. You might see their stains on the sidewalk before you see the actual tree. What you want is a big, ripe one, and a secret trick is to look if the stem is purple or green. If it has a slight purple hue, it’s at peak ripeness and ready to go into your baked goods.
Orange Mulberry Quick Bread Recipe
Orange Mulberry Quick Bread Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cup flour
- 2 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup melted butter
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 cup mulberries
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 3 thinly sliced orange slices for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
Instructions
- Place the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and stir with a whisk. Set aside.
- Put the sugar and orange zest into a medium bowl and stir them either rubbing with your fingers or using a fork.
- Add the eggs and mix with a whisk until just combined.
- Mix in the melted butter and orange juice.
- Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a whisk until just combined.
- Toss the mulberries with 1 teaspoon of flour and gently fold into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with thinly sliced pieces of orange.
- Bake for almost 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick that is inserted to center comes out clean.
- Brush the bread with orange marmalade before serving and enjoy.
Story by Emma Riva / Recipe by Anna Franklin / Photography by Dave Bryce
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