This was a surprising recipe that I sought out in order to use up some of the abundance of farro that has been living in my cupboard for ages. Space is at a premium in this tiny apartment so my old days of buying in bulk are relegated to only a few ingredients that can be manipulated and stashed in odd places easily. And while I do like farro and enjoy its nutty flavor quite a bit, space for spices wins out over grains these days.

I was actually rather skeptical while mixing this batter together. My kitchen sense was tingling and not in a good way. I thought for sure I was on the verge of yet another cooking crisis (there have been an awful lot lately) and I’m pretty sure I rolled my eyes in exasperation as I placed the baking dish into the oven. I didn’t have a lot of faith that farro could translate into a suitable sweet bread texture but I was happily proved wrong.

The loaf rose, it sliced beautifully, and smelled lovely. The buttermilk broke down the nutty farro into a tender and moist crumb, and I’m happy to report that I’ve added a new breakfast staple to my repertoire. Meanwhile, the farro haunting the apartment has found a new lease on life.

Cranberry Farro Quick Bread
Makes 1 Loaf
Originally published online at Saveur.com

1 1/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup cooked farro
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; grease and lightly flour a loaf pan. In a larger bowl stir together the buttermilk and cooked farro; set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold in cranberries and set aside.

Add honey, brown sugar, butter and eggs to buttermilk mixture and mix well to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing until just incorporated (do not over mix). Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake until browned on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 1 hour.

Remove bread and allow to cool slightly on a wire rack, about 15 minutes. Then turn out the loaf onto the rack to cool completely before slicing.

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