Except for the rosemary leaves on top, this bread might look sweet; in addition to the herbs being a clue, the fact that it’s savory is also given away by smelling it. It’s softly scented of onion and savory herbs. Flavor and taste-wise, I’d call it say it’s reminiscent of a savory pound cake…but in a good way. (And of course this is much lighter than a classic pound cake; there is no pound of butter, sugar, or even eggs in here!) The best thing for smearing across the top? Kerrygold Irish butter, of course. (Has anyone else noticed that Kerrygold butter almost eats like a cheese? It’s dangerous, people.)
This bread pairs perfectly with a cup of tea for breakfast or an afternoon snack, but would also be wonderful with any number of meals year round. Chili or stew in cooler months and barbequed chicken or grilled steak and salad in warmer weather.
This bread is versatile too – you can swap out the rosemary for whatever your favorite fresh herb is. I think dill would be nice, but then again I always think dill is wonderful in bread, lol. And it’s easy enough to turn this bread sweet instead of savory, but that’s another post for another day.
If you love quick bread and are always looking for new recipes to try, be sure to check out 30 of Cooking Light’s Best Quick Bread Recipes!
- 1 tablespoon butter, plus more to grease the loaf pan
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cups (9 oz/255 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (slightly heaping) teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, plus a few leaves more for topping if desired
- ¾ cup (180 ml) milk, at room temperature (I used 1%)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) vegetable oil or melted butter
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- Preheat oven to 350F; grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with butter.
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat; once melted, add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and rosemary in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Whisk together the milk, vegetable oil (or melted butter), and eggs in a large bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just to combine; stir in the onion.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.
- Cool 15 minutes in the loaf pan, then remove the bread from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Rosa says
November 11, 2013 at 5:58 amWonderful! I love those flavors.
Cheers,
Rosa
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
November 11, 2013 at 8:57 amI love the sound of this. Yum!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
November 11, 2013 at 9:42 amsavory pound cake – yum!
Erica says
November 11, 2013 at 1:01 pmDo you have any leftovers? I want this dunked in chili!!!! You have the best recipes. I’m saving this for post whole30!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
November 11, 2013 at 5:23 pmYou had me at rosemary, wish this loaf was in front of me!
jehanne@thecookingdoctor says
November 11, 2013 at 11:03 pmI made something similar, but yeaasted one with rosemary too. But yours is eye-catching, as I love pound cake! bookmarking this for indulgent weeekend:-)
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
November 12, 2013 at 8:25 amThis looks amazing. I love every single bit about it.
Laura says
March 4, 2014 at 8:14 amI made this last week and it was wonderful! Making it again today but going to tuck a few pieces of goat cheese into the dough.
Heather says
August 23, 2016 at 10:25 amWow this was stellar! I used dried rosemary and onion powder instead of the fresh stuff to make things faster (and because I didn’t want to go to the store). My husband likes it too. Definitely one of. Favourite quick breads.
I would like the point out that there are indeed eggs in th recipe, though in your introduction you said there weren’t any eggs. Just thought I’d point that out!
Faith says
September 6, 2016 at 5:48 pmHeather, I’m so happy to hear you and your hubby enjoyed the bread, thanks so much for letting me know! I apologize for the confusion in the header paragraph. I mentioned “there is no pound of butter, sugar, or even eggs in here” and I meant that there isn’t a full pound of any of those ingredients, not that none of those ingredients are present. Again, sorry about the confusion!
Emma says
August 13, 2017 at 10:09 amDelicious, just changed the rosemary for dried dill. Will definitely make again, this loaf won’t last long!