Description
Delightful sweet Alabama pecan pound bread combines Southern charm with rich, buttery flavors. Homemade comfort awaits you in each moist, nutty slice that embodies classic Southern baking traditions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (230 g / 8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml / 8 fl oz) sour cream
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (120 g) chopped pecans
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract (optional)
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsps milk or cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Chopped pecans for garnish
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 325F (165C) and prepare a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter, flour, or parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Creaming: Use an electric mixer to whip butter and sugar until light, fluffy, and significantly increased in volume, creating a smooth base for the bread.
- Wet Ingredient Fusion: Gradually incorporate eggs one at a time, then blend in sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract until the mixture achieves a uniform consistency.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, then gently fold into the wet mixture, stirring minimally to maintain the bread’s delicate texture and prevent toughness.
- Pecan Incorporation and Baking: Fold chopped pecans into the batter, transfer to the prepared pan, and smooth the surface. Bake for 60-70 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick that should come out clean when inserted into the center.
- Cooling and Finishing: Rest the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Optional: Create a silky glaze by whisking powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, drizzling over the cooled bread and garnishing with additional chopped pecans.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing: Stir dry ingredients into wet mixture minimally to maintain the bread’s tender, soft crumb and avoid developing tough gluten structures.
- Temperature Precision: Ensure butter and eggs are at room temperature for smoother blending and more consistent batter texture, promoting even baking.
- Nut Distribution Technique: Coat pecans lightly in flour before folding into batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking.
- Moisture Retention Hack: Check bread doneness with a toothpick test and avoid overbaking, which can result in a dry, crumbly texture; remove from oven when just set.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 399
- Sugar: 31 g
- Sodium: 143 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 86 mg