It seems to me that I’ve read somewhere if you come across fresh bergamot oranges at the market, you should not go home without them. We are fortunate to have a local market that hosts a citrus festival in Winter, enabling shoppers to try varieties we wouldn’t likely find elsewhere. I was lucky enough to find Bergamot oranges and took the advice I read, and now I have to talk about it.
Bergamot oranges grow in Southern Europe, mainly in Spain and Southern France. It’s not the type of orange you eat out of hand since it is bitter, but rather, it’s used in cooking and baking. It is also the flavor added to Earl Gray Tea that gives it a floral flavor. That floral essence is mostly in the rind, which you can smell when zested. Its essence has long been used in perfume-making, so you can imagine its aroma is special. The orange’s rind is also yellow or green, and the inside looks more like a lemon, which is probably what it was originally crossbred with.
When I found them, I couldn’t wait to get them home to put them into something special. What I ended up making was this tangy tea loaf, and to be honest, I liked it so much that I made it twice.
I used a mix of almond and pastry flour for this because I wanted to add a bit of almond flavor to the mix, and I like the moisture that the almonds contribute. I also used a mix of olive oil and butter—the olive oil for the moisture and the butter for flavor. Sage and citrus go well together, so I chopped some up and put it into the batter. I also wanted to bring out the floral flavor, so I added some orange blossom water to the bread and the glaze.
The bread rose high, so I poked holes with a bamboo skewer into the top so the glaze would seep into the loaf—it added some sweetness to a not-too-sweet bread.
For the Bread
- 175 gr pastry or all-purpose flour
- 175 gr almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- juice of 1 bergamot orange
- ½ cup sugar
- 100 ml olive oil
- 100 ml unsalted butter, melted + more for buttering your pan
- 100 ml milk (any kind you like)
- 1 Tbsp bergamot orange zest
- 1 Tbsp orange flower water
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
- ¼ cup sliced almonds (optional)
For the Glaze
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
- ~1 Tbsp bergamot juice
- 1 Tbsp bergamot zest
- a splash of orange flower water
Generously butter a 9 x 5 x 2.5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
Beat the sugar, olive oil, and butter in a large bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in each until combined. Add the bergamot juice, zest, and orange flower water. Lastly, stir in the milk.
Combine the flour mixture with the wet ingredients, stirring until just incorporated. Stir in the chopped sage.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the sliced almonds (if using) over the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown and the toothpick test is passed. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Finish cooling completely on a rack.
Make the Glaze
While the bread is baking, make the glaze.
Beat together all ingredients until smooth in a small bowl.
When the bread has cooled, set a sheet pan beneath the rack. With a bamboo skewer, poke holes into the top side of the bread. Pour the glaze over the top of the bread, filling the holes in the process.
Makes about 10 slices.
