Grapefruit-Rosemary Bread

I love putting together fresh fruit and herbal flavors from my garden. This is one of my favorite breakfast breads and tea pastries, so simple to whip up and pretty much foolproof. The tartness of the grapefruit is mellowed out by earthy rosemary, so the result is not too overwhelming on the palate.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can try other flavor combinations, depending on what you have on hand. Out of grapefruit? Try orange. No rosemary? Substitute a bit of marjoram. Experiment freely and let me know which other flavors turn out well for you!

Grapefruit-Rosemary Bread

Makes 1 (9-inch) loaf

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar

Wet Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
Zest from 1 large grapefruit
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

For the Glaze
1/8 to 1/4 cup grapefruit juice
1 cup powdered sugar

Making your Grapefruit-Rosemary Bread

To quickly zest an entire grapefruit, a Microplane comes in very handy. You should get around 3 tablespoons of zest from a large fruit.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and set aside.

In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs.

Whisk in the buttermilk, melted butter, and honey one at a time, until all the wet ingredients are well blended.

Add the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon/spatula until the batter is evenly mixed. It should only take a couple minutes of stirring to get a rich, even consistency.

Stir in the grapefruit zest and rosemary.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and pour in the batter.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make your glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the grapefruit juice and as much powdered sugar as needed to make a smooth, thin glaze (around 1 cup, maybe more).

When the bread is done baking, remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.

Lift the bread out of the pan and drizzle the glaze over the entire loaf, making sure to get all sides.

The glaze will harden in a few minutes, creating a tasty, tart crust. Slice and serve with your favorite coffee or tea!