Description
This Beetroot Bread recipe is a nutritious and vibrant no-yeast loaf that combines the natural sweetness of beetroot, pear, and apple juice with warming spices and crunchy walnuts. Perfectly moist and full of flavor, it’s a wholesome homemade bread ideal for breakfast or snacks. The process involves baking the beets, pureeing them with fruit, combining with simple ingredients, and baking until golden brown.
Ingredients
Beetroot Mixture
- ¾ cup beetroot puree (approx. 2 medium beets, 8.8oz/250g)
- 3.53 ounces pear (peeled, cored, peeled weight)
- ⅓ cup apple juice
Wet Ingredients
- 2 medium eggs
- ⅓ cup + 2 tsp vegetable oil
- ¼ cup sugar
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tbsp wholemeal/whole wheat or plain/all-purpose flour (or a mixture)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ⅓ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Zest of 1½ lemons
Additional
- ½ cup walnuts (or pecans, chopped)
Instructions
- Roast the Beets: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, gas mark 6). Wrap the beets loosely in foil, place them on a baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, then peel off the skins easily.
- Prepare Puree: Puree the roasted beetroot with the peeled, cored pear and apple juice until smooth. This step can be done ahead of time and refrigerated.
- Prepare Bread Pan and Oven: Preheat the oven again to 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4). Lightly grease a 23 cm (9.5″) bread pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, lemon zest, and salt thoroughly. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vegetable oil together for about 2 minutes until fluffy. Stir in the beetroot puree mixture and blend well.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Nuts: Add the walnuts and the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir gently just until the dry ingredients disappear; the batter will remain slightly lumpy.
- Bake the Bread: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, lift the loaf out using the parchment paper and place it on a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
- Storage: Store leftover bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- The bread is moist and naturally sweetened by the beetroot and pear, making it a healthier alternative to sugar-laden breads.
- Be sure not to overmix the batter to keep the bread light and tender.
- You can substitute the walnuts with pecans or other nuts of choice for texture variation.
- This bread keeps well refrigerated for up to 4-5 days; it can also be frozen for longer storage.
- To warm before serving, toast slices gently.
