Goat Cheese and Fig Quick Bread

By Dorie Greenspan

Published Jan. 31, 2021

Goat Cheese and Fig Quick Bread
Photograph by Heami Lee. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Miako Katoh.
Total Time
50 minutes
Rating
4(1,529)
Comments
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Here’s a recipe from France, where savory loaf cakes are often served with drinks before dinner. This one started with bits of goat cheese and snips of dried figs, and then moved closer and closer to the Mediterranean. It’s got fruity olive oil, a handful of parsley (for brightness), a little rosemary and thyme (to set the mood and further establish the locale), some honey (always good with goat cheese) and scrapings of clementine zest (for surprise). You can use a neutral oil, if you’d like, olive or dried tomatoes instead of figs, basil instead of parsley, lemon instead of orange, or experiment with other cheeses. The loaf’s pleasantly crumbly, and best enjoyed cut into thick slices.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings
  • Nonstick cooking spray or butter
  • 4ounces/115 grams very cold soft goat cheese
  • 4moist, plump dried figs (such as Kalamata), cut into ¼-inch bits
  • ⅓cup/20 grams finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1½teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • ½teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1¾cups/225 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1tablespoon baking powder
  • ½teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3large eggs, at room temperature
  • ⅓cup/80 milliliters whole milk, lukewarm
  • ⅓cup/80 milliliters olive oil
  • 1tablespoon honey
  • 1clementine or ½ tangerine
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

295 calories; 16 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 244 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Center a rack in the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8- to 9-inch loaf pan with baking spray (or butter the pan).

  2. Step 2

    Cut the goat cheese into ½-inch pieces. It’s a sticky, messy job, so don’t aim for perfection. Refrigerate the cheese until needed.

  3. Step 3

    In a small bowl, toss together the figs, parsley, rosemary and thyme; keep at hand.

  4. Step 4

    In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Working in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then whisk in the milk, oil and honey.

  5. Step 5

    Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture, and, using a sturdy spatula, stir until the dough is almost blended. You’ll still see streaks of flour, and that’s fine. Scatter the fig mixture over the dough, and then cover with the chilled bits of goat cheese. Grate the zest of the clementine or tangerine over the cheese. Using as few strokes as possible, stir everything together. Once again, it might not be perfect, and, once again, that’s fine. Scrape the dough into the pan, and use the spatula to poke the dough into the corners and to even the bumpy top.

  6. Step 6

    Bake for 34 to 38 minutes or until the top is golden, the cake has started to pull away from the sides of the pan, and, most important, a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Unmold the cake onto a rack, turn it right side up and let it cool. You can serve the cake when it’s slightly warm (it’s not so easy to cut then, but it’s delicious) or when it is at room temperature. Cut into thick slices. Wrapped well, the cake will keep for a day or two at room temperature.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,529 user ratings
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Comments

Colleen

Slicing soft goat cheese can be easily done with unwaxed dental floss.

Mecko

We make a version of this in our (French) household often, with corn and chrorizo. Delish and hearty enough for a lazy dinner.

Mecko

(Sorry if this shows up twice): Yes, just throw in a half-cup of corn or so, along with some chopped up charcuterie sausage, instead of fig and chevre. We also add a handful of shredded emmental cheese, but any will be good: cheddar, jack, etc. Try blue, or mix! As long as you have the flour/egg/oil ratio right, this is really one of those whatevers-in-the-pantry kind of recipes.

Laurel

I’ve made this a few times lately. I crumble the soft goat cheese into the flour by hand with a light touch along with the orange zest. For fun, I’ve blended 1/3 cup unactivated sourdough with the egg mixture to provide a more substantial texture. Delicious with drinks and conversation before Sunday dinner.

Linda

I used daes and lemon zest. Yum! Surprised by how moist the bread is. Really good and modifiable.

Kris

Did this for my friends annual Wine, Cheese and Chocolate party. First one subbing sun-dried tomatoes for the figs, second one using pear, cheddar and pistachios. What a great recipe. So adaptable.

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