Orange Nut Bread

This orange nut bread is a classic American quickbread with one essential detail. The overnight rest is required, not optional. Slicing this loaf the day it’s baked produces a crumbly, dry-seeming result. Wrapped and rested for 24 hours, the moisture from the orange juice redistributes through the crumb and the loaf slices clean and stays tender.

Fresh orange zest and juice work together as a flavor duo. Zest carries the bright, perfumed citrus oils; juice contributes the acid and moisture. Skip the bottled juice and use fresh-squeezed. Bottled juice is heat-treated and tastes flat in baked goods.

Chopped almonds provide the crunch, while raisins add chewy sweetness. Both are folded in dry first, which coats them in flour and prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.

The just-until-dampened mixing rule is the key technique. Overmixing develops gluten and produces tunneled, tough loaves. Mix only until you can no longer see dry flour. Lumps are fine.

Pro Tips

• Zest the orange before juicing it. Once juiced and cut, the peel is hard to grate cleanly and you’ll get only half the zest you need.
• Toast the almonds in a 350F (175C) oven for 5 minutes before chopping. Raw almonds taste flat against the bright citrus; toasted ones bring nuttiness that anchors the loaf.
• Wrap in waxed paper, not plastic. Waxed paper lets the crust breathe slightly while the interior hydrates. Plastic seals in moisture and can turn the crust gummy.

Variations

• Swap raisins for cranberries for tart-sweet bites and a more festive winter loaf.
• Substitute orange juice with lemon juice and add poppy seeds for a lemon-poppyseed version.
• Drizzle with a simple orange glaze (powdered sugar plus orange juice) for a more dessert-leaning loaf.