Rosemary, Lemon & Olive Oil Tea Bread

I have to apologize for the photos of this bread. I baked the bread for a meeting of my book club (one held at someone else's house), and like a dunce totally forgot to take any pictures in my house, with my lighting and my camera. So I just snapped a few shots with my cell phone when serving the bread.

So I am not sure if you can tell, but this bread makes a pretty loaf, especially with the sprinkled pine nuts. Its flavor is delicious with subtle hints of lemon and rosemary, with the fragrance of course from the olive oil. The kind of flavor that makes people ask "Do I taste...? Or...? Mmmm... just what is that flavor I'm not placing?" It is sweet but not super sweet; I like it better as a tea loaf than a true dessert.

One note about the recipe: the original recipe uses golden raisins and no rosemary, but one of the reviewers had suggested rosemary, and I was instantly much more intrigued by that flavor combination. So I highly suggest you try the rosemary, but if the idea bothers you, try golden raisins instead.


Rosemary, Lemon & Olive Oil Tea Bread
Adapted from Epicurious

2 1/2 cups AP flour
2 baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup fruity, fragrant extra virgin olive oil
1 T minced fresh rosemary leaves
grated zest of 2 lemons
unsalted butter for loaf pan
1/4 cup pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the sugar. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and olive oil, and then add them to the flour mix, just stirring until combined. Add the lemon zest and rosemary to the batter and mix in.

Butter a 9X5 loaf pan (the instructions said to flour it but I forgot and it was fine). Transfer the batter into the pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the top with pine nuts. Bake for 55 minutes, or until a thin skewer inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool for a few minutes. Unmold and cool on a rack.