Raclette Quick Bread
For those of you who don’t know what a quick bread is, well, it’s just that – a quick bread! As opposed to slow bread, you could say, or a yeasted bread, which can take hours to prepare and bake.
A quick bread utilizes baking powder as leavening that lightens the bread as it bakes, as opposed to yeasted breads that utilize yeast.
Besides being quick, quick breads are extremely easy. You mix up ingredients much like you would muffins or pancakes, whether sweet or savory. You just have to respect the ratio of wet to dry ingredients. Think about it. A cookie dough is different from a cake batter for a reason.
Today I decided to make a savory quick bread using some leftover raclette that I had frozen after Christmas, and a few other goodies I gathered together. If you decide to make this bread, you can completely change up the ingredients to make this bread your own.
This kind of bread is also referred to in France as a cake salé, a savory “cake” made in a loaf pan.
Raclette Quick Bread
2 ounces jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil, slightly drained and chopped
6 ounces pancetta, diced
2 tablespoons butter
16 ounces milk
2 eggs
8 ounces plain Greek yogurt or ricotta
1 teaspoon salt
Leftover pancetta and fat
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh herbs, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
10 ounces grated raclette or other semi-firm cheese
4 ounces of chopped olives
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the pancetta and butter together in a skillet over medium heat. A little browning is good. Let everything cool, and remember to save the fat in the skillet to use in the recipe. I actually discovered diced pancetta at my grocery store!
To a large mixing bowl, add the milk, eggs, yogurt and salt and whisk until smooth.
Add the pancetta and its fat, and the herbs. Stir until smooth. I used fresh parsley, rosemary, and oregano.
Using a spoon, gradually add the flour and baking powder and stir until the flour is almost combine with the wet ingredients.
Add the grated cheese and olives and fold them into the batter gently; do not over stir. And another discovery – pitted Castelvetrano olives! Thank you Amazon.
Divide the batter in between two greased 8 x 4″ loaf pans. Place the pans in the oven for 45 minutes.
To make sure they are cooked through, use a cake tester or long toothpick to check them. No doughy substance should be sticking to the tester. If there is, the breads need to be cooked for maybe five minutes longer. An alternative is to lower your oven to 325 degrees to help the breads cook in the middle. Sometimes it works to turn off the oven and let them sit for 10-15 minutes.
There should be a little rise along the middle of the bread, and it should also be firm to the touch.
Let the breads rest in the pans for about 30 minutes, and then remove them to cool completely.
Serve these breads as part of a buffet, or for an hors d’oeuvres platter.
They’re best warm or at room temperature. When the bread is warm it’s luscious and cheesy and flavorful.
Can you imagine serving this bread with a bowl of tomato soup?!
This bread would be great with smoked cheese, bits of chorizo, and chopped cilantro. Or, roasted red bell peppers, Gorgonzola, and basil. Get creative!
For a similar bread, click on Olive Cake for another delicious cake salé, pictured below.
Very nice appetizer.
thanks so much!
Mimi, I could likely eat a loaf of your raclette quick bread all on my own. A great combination of flavors!
Ha! Well that’s certainly a compliment!
That looks gorgeous. Great spread with something savoury for lunch.
Yes! I love it with hors d’oeuvres, but with soup or a salad would also be spectacular!
I love those cake salés here in France! Yours looks like a delicious version featuring some of my favorite ingredients!
I love all of those ingredients as well! So much fun to create the combinations, also!
That bread would make a great addition to a charcuterie board- would dress it up nicely, yet fit right in with the other components!
Exactly. And some great cheeses as well. They’re so much fun to create.
That’s the most creative use of leftover raclette! The bread turned out perfectly dense and yummy. I love some for my blue cheese :-))
I’m sure it’s a good way to use just about any leftover cheese. IF there’s leftover cheese!
What a great idea! I’ve never had a savory quick bread before, but now I need to! This looks AMAZING!!
And I actually prefer them savory. But mostly, they’re just so much fun to create!
This looks amazing. It’s like a whole cheese board in a bread! :)
Ha! That’s a great way to describe it!
in Italy, there is a similar recipe for an Easter bread and this looks and sounds delicious. Great recipe.
Oh, I’m not surprised! So many similarities. Such great cheese and olives!
looks delicious!
Thank you! And so satisfying.
Mmm, will have to try it!
Fantastic addition to a cheese board. Might even love it toasted. This recipe reminds me we ought to fire up the raclette this weekend while it is still cool outside.
Oh goodness yes. And I do still have leftover raclette. I think toasted would be great!
I’m making this soon for a charcuterie board post I have in the works! Love the versatility!
Yes! Exactly! I love to play with recipes like this!
A perfect addition to a cheese board!! I could make a dinner from that!! So yummy.
I know what you mean! Some meats, more cheeses… a perfect meal.
Oh how delicious! And Castelvetrano are one of my favorite olive varieties. Love them! Such a pretty spread for an appetizer/first course. :-) ~Valentina
Can you believe I found them pitted?! Or, maybe you have, but I’d never seen that before. Love them! And this bread!!!
I think my sister-in-law is making this bread today. She saw your post before I did! Love the sound of it – perfect for an app, but I can see us snacking on in mid-morning…
Oh what a compliment! Thanks for telling me!
what lovely bread Mimi, looks delicious!!
Thanks!!! It really is good.
I’ve never had anything quite like this quick bread and it looks so delicious, Mimi. I think this would be so fun to serve to guests. It’s not at all typical!
I guess it’s not too typical because American mostly make sweet quick breads. But these are so good and fun to create. I especially love them as part of a spread of hors d’oeuvres, but with a salad or soup…. delicious.
i love these quick breads especially when savoury – full of cheese and olives and sundried tomatoes and herbs … they are wonderfully easy and delicious.
cheers
sherry
So delicious, and so fun to create!
I love quick breads! This version sounds delicious…almost like an antipasta platter turned into a slice of bread. In a way, it almost reminds me of something called ‘garbage bread’ that makes an occasional appearance up here. Meats, cheeses and everything else shoved into bread. Despite the name, it’s actually quite tasty. And I’ve been obsessed with the thought of raclette ever since you posted about it during the holidays – eventually I’ll probably break down and order a melter!
The raclette grills are so much fun! For just the two of you or another couple – it’s just a fabulous way to spend a colder night inside and enjoy a leisurely and delicious meal. For this bread, raclette is not necessary, as you I’m sure know. Even cheddar would be good, but I do have leftover raclette, still, so I’ll probably make more versions of this again!
Love what you did with this Mimi and the blog, too! Both are yummy!
thank you. Good stuff, this bread.
I bet this bread would make awesome grilled cheese! Toasted with a beautifully fried egg. Now I’m hungry.
Oh, it sure would! And an egg?!! Wow, I’ve got to make more!!!
My kind of bread, for sure! So perfect on a board of charcuterie!!
Yes, exactly. And I’d love to serve it with soup, but it never gets that far!
I must say, the French term cake salé lends some intrigue to this bread. Which looks stunning and something I know I would devour :)
Thanks, Tandy. I really think that has to do with the loaf shape, as well as the savory nature. It could be called poop cake in French and it would sound good!!!
I usually make savoury breads to use leftovers in the fridge and couldn’t agree more how much ratio of dry/wet is important. I love your version, printed already ! :-)
Thank you! Basic home baking is very simple! Beyond that I’m not good at!
I am a fan of quick breads, sometimes I dont have the patience waiting for breads to rise, so this recipe is perfect for me. That bread of yours looks tasty!
Thank you, it’s very flavorful and satisfying!