Some days are simply meant to be spent inside with the smell of freshly baked bread lingering through your home. Today is one of those days. The current weather conditions: heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain. Ugghhh, No Thank You! Luckily, my pantry is equipped for the weather so I didn’t have to trudge through the filthy sludge of the New York City streets to bake myself this comforting loaf of bread.

My favorite thing about loaf breads??? I almost always have the ingredients laying around to make them in a pinch. Their versatility makes them easy to whip up with just a few staples that you probably already have in your pantry. Add in those bananas that have seen better days, the zucchini that got lost in the back of the fridge, or in this case, that sweet potato that has been patiently waiting for love and attention, and you're ready to start baking! Quick breads also handle substitutions quite well. Eggs can be replaced with flaxseeds to create a vegan bread, the type of oil and sugar can be swapped without jeopardizing quality, and the flavor base can be adjusted with a variety of fruits, vegetables and spices.

A quick bread is any bread that is leavened with a leavening agent other than yeast. They most commonly take the loaf form, but muffins, cakes, brownies and some cookies also fall into the category. The main leavening agents are generally baking powder, baking soda or a combination of the two. Eggs also play an important leavening role in several quick bread recipes, but they can be omitted and still produce perfect results with the proper adjustments. I’ve chosen to use flaxseeds and whole wheat flour to add more fiber and a hearty, nutty flavor to this loaf. I also love how maple syrup compliments the flavor of sweet potato, but if you don’t have maple on hand, honey, brown or granulated sugar will also do the trick.

Sweet Potato Bread
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup all purpose flour
1 t cinnamon
½ t nutmeg
½ t allspice
1 t baking soda
½ t baking powder
2 T ground flax seed
¼ cup water
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup raw granulated sugar
½ cup maple syrup
1 ½ T vinegar (such as apple cider vinegar)
1 cup sweet potato, cooked and mashed
1 cup pecans
Pre-heat oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
To cook the sweet potato, peel and cube it, place in a small pot and cover with water. Boil until very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and smash with a fork or in the food processor.
While the sweet potato is cooking, prep remaining ingredients. Mix water and ground flaxseed in a small bowl and set aside. Combine all dry ingredients, except sugar, in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, add all wet ingredients and the sugar, melting the coconut oil if needed. Roughly chop pecans and set aside.
When the sweet potato is ready, whisk it into the wet ingredients. Stir in the flax mixture, and mix to combine. Add all wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix. Fold in pecans and scrape into your prepared pan.
Bake at 350 for approximately 40-50 minutes. Baking time may vary depending on the type of pan you are using and the consistency of your oven temperature. To check if the bread is done, insert a clean toothpick or cake tester into the middle of the loaf. Remove from oven when the toothpick can be cleanly removed from the bread or is removed from the bread with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it.

sweet potato bread (vegan)