Słodki Chleb z Orzechami i Kruszonką or Quick Bread with Walnuts and Crumble

From bottom right, counter-clockwise:
Batter, Plain Loaf, Loaf with crumble, Cooling loaf,
Baked loaf with crumble, Baked loaf Plain

This is a quick bread that uses the popular Polish crumble mixture called Kruszonką, a streusel made with powdered sugar instead of brown sugar.  This recipe makes a light, not-too-sweet bread suitable for coffee time.   I also serve it with main dish salads for attractive lunch plates.  It takes a while to bake, but it’s quick and easy to make, no mixer necessary.  I like to make it in a 4” x 10” narrower pan to make smaller, more attractive slices as well.
For a less sweet bread, try it without the vanilla extract or crumble.  That makes a loaf that’s good for chicken salad sandwiches or to serve with soup or salad meals.  I often have a quick bread loaf stored in the freezer in slices with doubled waxed paper between them, so we can quickly thaw slices for company coffee times or meals.  This is a recipe I make often, in either form.

      

Słodki Chleb z Orzechami i Kruszonką or Sweet Bread with Walnuts and Crumble

  9           Ounces  Flour, All-purpose -- 2 cups

  4           Ounces  Sugar -- 1/2 cup

  1 ½       Teaspoons  Baking Powder

     ½       Teaspoon  Baking Soda

  1           Teaspoon  Salt

  8           Ounces  Buttermilk -- 1 cup

  1           Large  Egg

  1          Teaspoon  Vanilla Extract

     ¼       Cup  Butter, melted and cooled

  2          Ounces  Walnuts -- 1/2 cup chopped

                        Crumble

     ½     Cup  Flour

     ¼     Cup Powdered Sugar

  2 ½     Tablespoons  Butter -- softened

1.      Combine the crumble ingredients with a fork, squeeze together to make a soft dough.  Refrigerate until bread batter is in the pan and ready to go in the oven.

2.      Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and 1" up the sides of a standard 8 1/2 x 4 1/2" loaf pan.  If desired, line with parchment paper, greased the same way.

3.      Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Melt the butter and let cool slightly. Whisk it in a separate bowl with the buttermilk, vanilla extract and the egg.

4.      Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients. Gently stir and fold the ingredients until all the flour has been incorporated and a shaggy, wet batter is formed. Be careful not to over-mix.

5.      Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and pat it into the corners.

6.      Remove the crumble mixture from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the loaf in a mixture of 1/4" to 1/2" crumbles. 

7.      Bake for 40-45 minutes. When finished, the loaf should be domed and golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean (about 190-200° on and instant read thermometer). Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.  Cool to room temperature on a rack.

8.      Wrap baked loaves tightly in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight before slicing.

9.      Baked loaves can also be wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil and frozen for up to three months, or sliced and packaged with double waxed paper between slices for individual servings and then frozen.

Yield:  "1 Loaf"