Day 134: Sweet Strawberry Bread

I was up until midnight making this bread.  It took longer than I thought it would, but that was my fault.  Then this morning, bright and early, I got to go play with the flowers at my friend's commercial greenhouse.  What a great day!  I love plants and growing things about as much as I love my dutch ovens!
Oh!  I keep forgetting to tell you all, I got to do an interview for a dutch oven cooking article that will appear in Airstream Life magazine.  I had a great conversation with Tom, who is a free lance writer.  He also interviewed Jack Wallace who is the director of education for IDOS.  I'm looking forward to reading the article and I'll keep you all posted with the details!  I'm glad I can help get the word out, and maybe help motivate people to try this fun style of cooking.  Thankfully, I don't have to convince any of you!
 I found today's recipe on the Internet, but I can't for the life of me remember where.  If I run across it again, I'll give credit where it is due.

Sweet Strawberry Bread
12" dutch oven

3 cups of flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
 4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups chopped strawberries

Mix the flour, soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.  Add eggs, sugar and oil.  Mix well and carefully add the strawberries.  Pour into a greased dutch oven and bake at 350*  for 1 hour, using 14 coals on top and 10 on the bottom.  Cool 15 minutes before removing from DO. 

The Finished Product

The Review

I'm not sure how to say what I think of this bread.  This was good, but not great.  I've tried several strawberry bread recipes and they have all been less than satisfying.  I really wanted to taste the strawberries, and I just couldn't.  I guess there is no way to cook strawberries and still get the fresh, sweet/tart taste that makes them so good.  I doubled this recipe and cooked it in my 12" oven.  That was a BIG mistake.  After 2 hours of cooking, it was finally cooked through without being burned, and completely filled my oven within 1 inch of the top.  If you are going to double it, use a 14" oven.  The dough also grossed me out.  It was so thick before I put the berries in that it looked like oily play dough.  Once the berries were in it took on the right "banana bread batter" consistency.  I probably shouldn't sound so negative about it, because it was pretty good.  I can just think of many other ways I would rather use strawberries.  Grade C-.