Sweet, juicy strawberries and a soft, buttery crumb make this Strawberry Bread with Freshly Milled Flour one of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh berries while they’re in season. Finished with a simple homemade strawberry glaze, every slice is bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. I love serving it for brunch with a cup of coffee, but it’s just as delicious as an afternoon treat or simple dessert.
A blend of hard white and soft white wheat creates a tender loaf that lets the fresh strawberries shine, while resting the batter gives the freshly milled flour time to fully hydrate for a soft, even crumb. Patting the strawberries dry before folding them into the batter helps prevent excess moisture and keeps the loaf light and tender.
If you’re baking with freshly milled flour for the first time, All-Purpose Flour from Freshly Milled Flour, Baking with Freshly Milled Flour, and Best Wheat Berries for Baking are great resources to help you get started. For more strawberry favorites, try Strawberry Shortcake Recipe with Freshly Milled Flour.
Did you know you can convert your recipes to freshly milled flour? I share how to convert your recipes and more at The Cottage Mill.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
For the Flour Blend
For the Strawberry Bread
For the Strawberry Glaze
Variations & Add-Ins
Recipe Tips
Use ripe but firm strawberries – Choose bright red, fragrant strawberries that are firm enough to hold their shape when diced. Overripe berries release more juice during baking, which can make the loaf too moist.
Pat the strawberries dry – After washing and dicing the strawberries, gently blot them with paper towels before folding them into the batter. This simple step helps prevent soggy pockets and encourages the berries to stay evenly distributed throughout the loaf.
Use a blend of hard white and soft white wheat – Hard white wheat provides structure while soft white wheat creates a tender crumb. Together, they make a balanced flour blend that’s perfect for quick breads. If you’re new to milling flour, All-Purpose Flour from Freshly Milled Flour explains how to make this versatile blend.
Don’t skip the batter rest – Letting the batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes gives the freshly milled flour time to fully hydrate, resulting in a softer, more tender crumb.
Mix just until combined – Once the dry ingredients are added, mix only until no dry streaks remain. Overmixing can develop too much gluten, making the loaf less tender.
Bake low and slow – Baking at 325°F helps the loaf bake evenly without over-browning. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent it with aluminum foil during the last 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool before glazing – Let the bread cool completely before drizzling on the strawberry glaze. This helps the glaze set beautifully instead of melting into the loaf.
Slice with a serrated knife – A gentle sawing motion creates clean slices without crushing the soft crumb or pulling the strawberries from the bread.
Instructions
- Mill the flour – Mill the hard white and soft white wheat berries on the finest setting. Whisk them together until evenly combined to create the flour blend.
- Preheat the oven – Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan, line it with parchment paper, then lightly grease the parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream the butter and sugar – In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla – Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Alternate the flour and buttermilk – Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined after each addition.
- Rest the batter – Let the batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the freshly milled flour to fully hydrate.
- Fold in the strawberries – Pat the diced strawberries dry one final time, then gently fold them into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Fill the pan – Spread the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake – Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. If needed, loosely tent the loaf with aluminum foil during the last 15 to 20 minutes.
- Cool – Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze – Whisk together the diced strawberries, powdered sugar, buttermilk, and heavy whipping cream until smooth.
- Finish and serve – Drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf before slicing and serving.
Gifting Ideas
Freezing and Storage
- Room temperature – Store the glazed or unglazed strawberry bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator – Store the bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let slices come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Freezer – Freeze the unglazed loaf tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or place it in a freezer-safe bag, for up to 3 months.
- Thawing – Let the loaf thaw overnight at room temperature, then prepare and drizzle on the fresh strawberry glaze before serving.
- Make ahead – Bake the loaf a day in advance and store it unglazed. Add the strawberry glaze just before serving for the freshest flavor and the prettiest presentation.
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Strawberry Bread with Freshly Milled Flour
Prep:20 minutes Cook:55 minutes Total:1 hour 15 minutes Equipment
- Grain Mill
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- 9×5 inch loaf pan
- Parchment Paper
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Bread
- 1½ cups hard white wheat berries 120 grams
- ⅔ cup + 2 tablespoons soft white wheat berries 80 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened, 170 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
- ¼ cup buttermilk 60 grams
- 1¼ cups fresh strawberries diced and patted dry, about 190 grams
For the Strawberry Glaze
- 3 tablespoons fresh strawberries finely diced, about 30 grams
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120 grams
- 1 teaspoon buttermilk about 5 grams
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream about 15 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven – Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan, line it with parchment paper, then lightly grease the parchment paper.
- Mill the flour – Mill the hard white and soft white wheat berries on the finest setting. Whisk the freshly milled flours together until evenly combined to create your Fresh Milled All-Purpose Flour Blend.
- Combine the dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together the freshly milled flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cream the butter and sugar – In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add the eggs and vanilla – Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Alternate the wet and dry ingredients – Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined after each addition.
- Rest the batter – Let the batter rest for 10–15 minutes. This allows the freshly milled flour to fully hydrate, creating a softer, more tender crumb.
- Prepare the strawberries – While the batter rests, gently pat the diced strawberries dry one more time with paper towels to remove any remaining moisture.
- Fold in the strawberries – Gently fold the strawberries into the batter until evenly distributed without overmixing.
- Fill the pan – Spread the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake the bread – Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with aluminum foil during the final 15–20 minutes.
- Cool completely – Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze – Whisk together the diced strawberries, powdered sugar, buttermilk, and heavy whipping cream until smooth.
- Finish and serve – Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled loaf before slicing and serving
Notes
Freezing – Freeze the unglazed loaf tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and glaze before serving.
Fresh Milled Flour Tip – Resting the batter before baking allows the bran in the freshly milled flour to fully hydrate, resulting in a softer, more tender crumb with no grittiness.
Expert Tip – Patting the strawberries dry before folding them into the batter helps prevent excess moisture, reduces the chance of soggy pockets, and keeps the berries evenly suspended throughout the loaf.
Serving Suggestion – Enjoy this strawberry bread with coffee, Stabilized Whipped Cream, or alongside your Strawberry Shortcake Recipe (Biscuit Style) with Fresh Milled Flour for a beautiful spring brunch spread.
Nutrition
Emily Rider
Home miller since 1999 with fresh-milled flour & sourdough experience. Sharing from-scratch recipes and traditional kitchen skills, rooted in the seasons and inspired by everyday cottage living and seasonal rhythms.
