This old fashioned Buttermilk Sweet Bread is a recipe we make often because it is so versatile! It’s a quick bread with just a hint of sweetness and goes perfectly with almost any meal! I love quick breads such as Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Beer Bread, and Cream Cheese Banana Bread.
Buttermilk Sweet Bread
I am an eternal fan of quick breads. You dump some basic ingredients in a bowl, stir and bake, and then voila, there is a tender loaf of warm bread perfect with any meal. This recipe was a bit different than most quick bread I make as it doesn’t have a specific flavor profile. Which now that I think about, I really like. I said it once but I’ll say it again, this is one heck of a versatile bread!
What is Quick Bread?
Simply put, no yeast is required. Most quick breads follow a simple formula of combining dry ingredients, adding wet ingredients, and stirring just enough to incorporate. This recipe definitely follows that!
Because this recipe is such a great base, you can add fruit, extracts, cheese, seasonings… you name it.
How to Make Buttermilk Sweet Bread
Assemble your ingredients:
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- baking powder
- buttermilk
- butter
- vanilla
- granulated sugar
- eggs
Because this is an old-fashioned buttermilk sweet bread, I added vanilla and sugar. If you want to make your bread savory, omit the vanilla and only use 1 tablespoon of sugar.
In a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients. Sift together. Add the wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated. You don’t want to overmix. Pour the batter into a prepared pan (I like to use Homemade Pan Release) and bake in a preheated oven.
Why Use Buttermilk in Recipes?
Buttermilk brings a pleasant tang to cakes, bread, and biscuits. It helps tenderize gluten, giving baked goods a softer texture and more body. If baked goods have baking soda (which this one does!), then using buttermilk is a good option. Baking soda is a leavening agent that requires acidic ingredients such as buttermilk, lemon juice or molasses to activate it.
Buttermilk Sweet Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups (226g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (245g) buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray or GOOP.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar in a bowl.
- Add in buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla, and eggs. Stir until all the ingredients are combined. Batter will be sticky.
- Pour into 9x5 pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until top is golden brown and an inserted toothpick is removed with a few crumbs. (It should not have wet batter on it)
- Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then invert onto a cutting board or cooling rack. Best served warm!
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Sugar in Buttermilk Bread
I started out by wanting a bread that wasn’t as sweet and found that adding 1 tablespoon of sugar was good. Then I decided to make this recipe with fresh strawberries and added 1/2 cup of sugar. It was perfection. Then I made it without strawberries but left in the 1/2 cup sugar and found that this was our favorite. Please do feel free to play around with the sugar in this recipe and make it to your tastes.
If you prefer a sweeter buttermilk bread but don’t want to use granulated sugar, you can use honey. About 1/4 cup works best in the recipe I have shared below.
Can You Freeze Quick Bread?
Sure thing! Just bake the bread and allow it to cool completely. After it has cooled, wrap tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and then place in a freezer-safe plastic storage bag. When you are ready to use it, allow it to come to room temperature on the counter.
To Make These into Buttermilk Muffins:
Scoop the batter into muffin liners and bake for 16-20 minutes at 350°F.
The Old Fashion Buttermilk Sweet Bread recipe calls for eggs but they are not in the recipe , I have noticed this happens a lot with the recipes on this site so I always check them close ~
Not sure I understand Janet? They are in the ingredients as well as in the instructions.
Would love to add strawberries to this recipe, as you mentioned. Any other changes to recipe if adding strawberries? What quantity of berries?
Thanks, love your recipes – have made many
I added 2 cups of chopped strawberries. You can also use frozen strawberry pieces that have been thawed, but it will tint the bread slightly.
The post doesn’t say how many eggs.
It lists the amounts for ingredients in the recipe.
I would like to substitute honey for sugar do you recommend less liquid and less sweetener?and would cooking temperature change?thanks
Love all ur recipes
Yes, the eggs were in the recipe 😊 I just made the lemon pudding/ blueberry pie filling / angel food cake dessert. Delicious😍
I just made the buttermilk sweet bread recipe, it was very easy and a simple recipe to make. I baked them in a cupcake pan as that makes them easier to share. The sugar level was perfect but I noticed no salt in the recipe and that left a flat taste on the tip of my tongue. I find that “flat taste” in a lot of quick bread and banana bread recipes I’m wondering if anybody else notices that as well. Next time I will add salt to the recipe see if that changes the taste
I just made this but I think I over mixed it. Not crumbly like yours . 😕
Hi Amanda I made your sweet bread today. It looks exactly like your picture. I plan on having strawberry shortcake using it tonite. I have strawberries in the fridge in sugar and lime juice. So this should be really good with some whipping cream on it. Thanks for the recipe. I have already shared a piece with my daughter shortly after coming out of the oven.
Love to hear that you enjoyed it Willi!
My mom always made sweet bread for us when we were children. My sister and I make it for our children and grandchildren.