Cake Salé

This is not a fussy recipe when it comes to the herbs. You can substitute all sorts different options and come up with your preference of variations. The first time I made this, I forgot the parsley. Still great. You can also use more or less of something if that is more to your liking. The key here is getting a flavor profile that is complex and lovely to you.

Feel free to freestyle this quick bread even more--some finely chopped and crisp-cooked bacon or pancetta? More of another type of cheese? Add olives? Yes, yes, and yes. The idea is to have fun and use this as a base. The ricotta, buttermilk, and parmesan will impart a great flavor and texture, so from there, feel free to ad lib to your liking.

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoon butter melted
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup tightly packed grated Parmesan cheese plus 2 T grated cheese for the topping
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped or 1 T dried and crushed
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Heat oven to 350. Butter a 9x5 bread loaf pan & set aside.
In a large bowl whisk the flour baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl whisk eggs buttermilk melted butter ricotta cheese 1/2 c Parmesan cheese parsley chives rosemary thyme and a generous grind of pepper.
Add the egg/cheese mixture to the flour mixture and using a spatula gently combine. Pour/spoon into the pan and spread the dough evenly.
Bake in the middle of the oven for about 45-50 minutes. Remove and brush the top with olive oil. Sprinkle with the remaining 2T Parmesan cheese and bake another 10 -15 minutes. If the top of the loaf is too pale put under the broiler for 2-3 minutes. The loaf is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove loaf and cool on a rack for 15 minutes.