French Ham and Cheese Quick Bread

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Gruyère cheese (about 3 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/4 cups small-dice cooked ham (about 7 ounces)
• 1/3 cup small-dice pitted Niçoise olives (about 1 1/4 ounces)
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted, plus more for coating the pan

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F(170 C) and arrange a rack in the middle. Generously coat a metal 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter; set aside.
2. 2Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and pepper together in a large bowl until aerated and any large lumps are broken up. Add the cheese, ham, and olives and toss in the flour mixture until the pieces are separated and evenly coated; set aside.
3. 3Place the eggs, milk, and melted butter in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add this egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until the flour is just incorporated, being careful not to overmix (a few streaks of flour are OK; the batter will be very thick).
4. 4Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan, pushing it into the corners and smoothing the top. Bake until the bread is golden brown all over and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (test several spots because you may hit a pocket of cheese), about 40 to 45 minutes.
5. 5Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of the bread and turn it out onto the rack. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes more before slicing.