Gluten Free Strawberry Bread
Ingredients
2/3 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 3/4 cups chopped fresh strawberries*
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut chips (or chopped raw pecans or walnuts)
Whipped cream and chopped strawberries, for serving
*You can make this bread with frozen strawberries, but it will not rise as high and may take a bit longer to bake. Defrost frozen whole strawberries at room temperature until soft but not mushy. Follow the recipe instructions for blending 3/4 cup (105 g) of the berries with the yogurt, butter and eggs, but include all of the liquid in the blender. Chop the remaining whole berries carefully with a very sharp knife before tossing with sugar and folding into the remaining batter, as directed in the recipe as written.
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan, and set it aside.
Place the yogurt, 3/4 cup (105 g) of the strawberries, butter and eggs in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Set the mixture aside. Place the remaining chopped strawberries in a medium-size bowl, add 1/4 cup (50 g) of the granulated sugar, and toss to coat the strawberries in the sugar. Set the bowl aside.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and remaining 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, and whisk to combine. Add the coconut chips and mix to combine. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the yogurt mixture. Mix until just combined. The mixture will be thick but soft. Add the chopped strawberries and sugar, and fold the strawberries into the batter carefully, taking care not to smash the berries.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan smooth the top with a wet spatula. To create a dome shape, run a wet spatula along the edges of the pan and pull the batter toward the center. For a uniform split down the center as the bread rises in the oven (instead of a more haphazard split), slash down the center of the loaf with a sharp knife, about 1/4-inch deep in one swift motion.
Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F, and continue to bake for another 20 minutes, or until the top of the loaf springs back when pressed lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with, at most, a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from the oven, place the loaf pan on a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring the bread from the loaf directly onto the wire rack to cool completely. Slice once cool and serve with more berries and whipped cream.
