Why is a tablespoon of cornstarch used?

I add just a tablespoon or so of cornstarch whenever I’m baking with whole-wheat flour. Cornstarch is a key ingredient in cake flour/cakes because it helps create a tender crumb. An ideal addition to whole-wheat baking!

What does “natural” peanut butter mean?

The ingredient list specifies “natural peanut butter,” this means the kind of peanut butter that contains just peanuts and salt. Don’t use the processed stuff that contains palm oil and sugar (even if it says “natural”). Natural peanut butter should have some oil separation when you buy it—just stir it in. And it should be drippy. Why not use the cheap stuff? Processed peanut butter is packed with additives and isn't overly "nutty." Natural peanut butter has MUCH more peanut flavor, which means the bread has more flavor!

Does it really matter if my buttermilk and egg are at room temperature?

I tested this bread more than eight times and I will tell you, once I honed in on the final recipe I tested it once more with all room temperature ingredients. The results were even better than I could have imagined. When baked with room temperature ingredients, the crumb of this bread is so much more light and airy than the versions made with cold buttermilk and a cold egg.

Do I have to use demerara sugar on the top?

Demerara sugar, or Sugar in The Raw, adds a lovely sweet crunch which I think the bread benefits from. If you don’t have it, don’t want it, don’t need it, leave it off (you can also use regular granulated sugar). If you do end up buying it, I use it on almost every quick bread and muffin recipe I make (who has time to make a crumble?!). My Healthy Yogurt Banana Bread and Healthy Blueberry Muffins are two of my favorites.

The Best Honey Peanut Butter Bread

Honey Peanut Butter Bread

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review

Author: Lauren Grant
Prep Time: 15 minutes
1 hour cooking time:
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 ¼ hours
Yield: 1 loaf (10 servings) 1x
Category: Bread
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Description

A flavorful peanut butter quick bread that’s perfectly sweetened, made 100% whole-wheat flour and surprisingly light and tender. This is a breakfast and/or snack you can feel good about!

Ingredients

Scale

1 ½ cups white whole-wheat flour (200g)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (9g)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk (240g), room temperature
⅔ cup creamy drippy natural peanut butter (160g)
⅔ cup honey (230g)
1 large egg (50g), room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract (6g)
3 tablespoons chopped roasted and salted peanuts
1 tablespoon Demerara sugar

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Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F (176ºC) with rack set in middle position. Coat an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; coat paper with nonstick spray.

Whisk together flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.

Whisk together buttermilk, peanut butter, honey, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Fold flour mixture into peanut butter mixture with a rubber spatula until combined.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle peanuts and Demerara sugar evenly over top.

Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 55–60 minutes. (You can also check doneness by temperature. The interior of the bread should register between 190ºF and 200ºF on an instant-read thermometer).

Let bread cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn bread out onto wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 ½ hours.

Equipment

wire rack

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white whole-wheat flour

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parchment paper

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8 x 4 inch loaf pan

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Notes

I have not tested this bread with the addition of chocolate chips or peanut butter chips, but either should work. Fold 1/2 – 3/4 cup into the batter and sprinkle 1/4 cup over top.

I really recommend using an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan instead of a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan. The slightly smaller size creates taller, more domed breads.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 284
Sugar: 24g
Sodium: 162mg
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 40g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 8g
Cholesterol: 20mg

Keywords: Peanut Butter Bread, Quick Bread, Whole-Wheat Bread, Peanut Butter Bread Recipe

Find it online: https://zestfulkitchen.com/honey-peanut-butter-bread/

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