Poppy Seed Tea Bread

This easy bread can be put together in a flash.  Add a little grated orange peel or lemon peel for a touch of citrus.

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup buttermilk, at room temp.

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs (at room temp.), lightly beaten

¼ cup poppy seeds

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ¾ inch loaf pan.

In medium-sized bowl, stir together flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, stir together buttermilk, eggs, butter, and vanilla until blended.  Make a well in center of flour mixture; add buttermilk mixture and stir just to combine.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of bread comes out clean.

Remove pan to wire rack.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing bread from pan; finish cooling on rack.  Store completely cooled bread in an airtight container at room temperature.

This bread freezes well.

Makes 1 loaf; 10-14 slices