This A to Z Quick Bread is an easy, portable, and versatile quick bread, which makes 2 loaves so you can freeze the other for later. The combinations are endless, so it becomes a different cake every time!
Award Winning A to Z Bread
This is an award-winning 1976 A to Z Bread recipe by Hazel Gentry of Walnut Creek, California, for not one, but 33 breads. The Diablo Symphony Association members loved it so much that at their big annual reception, they made it in many varieties and served it to 400 guests.
My mom discovered the newspaper article when I was a kid and has made it so many times over the years. I finally confiscated the recipe for myself and I’ve since made it so many times, I never refer to the recipe anymore.
I brought loaves to countless playdates during my daughter’s first years and after all the parents kept requesting the recipe, it actually became the inspiration for the BellyFull website!
Why You’ll Love This Quick Bread
- Great for a potluck. It’s usually my go-to dessert for a potluck or school event.
- Portable. It’s easy and portable.
- Cut into whatever size slices. Cut up into large pieces or small for a snack cake.
- Freezes well. You can serve one loaf and freeze the other for later.
- Endless combinations. The combinations are endless, so it becomes a different cake every time!
Proper Storage
- Countertop and Fridge. Baked and cooled, this quick bread can sit (tightly wrapped) on the countertop for 2-3 days. After that, you’ll want to refrigerate it, which will extend its life a few days longer.
- To Freeze. You can also freeze this A to Z bread recipe. Wrap the loaf in plastic, then in foil, and transfer to a freezer-safe plastic bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
More Quick Bread Recipes:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
A to Z Quick Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoons innamon
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts
- 2 cups A to Z* (see below)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 (9×5-inch) loaf pans with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang.
- In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Add in the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar; mix until incorporated. Stir in the nuts and A-Z of your choice.
- Pour equally into the loaf pans and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Carefully remove your cake bread out of the pans and let cool. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Apples – grated
- Applesauce
- Apricots – dried, finely chopped
- Apricots – chopped
- Bananas – mashed
- Blueberries
- Butterscotch Chips
- Carrots – grated
- Cherries – pitted and chopped
- Chocolate Chips
- Coconut – flaked
- Dates – pitted and chopped
- Eggplant – ground up
- Figs – finely chopped
- Grapes – seedless
- Honey – omit sugar above
- Lemons – use only 1/2 juice
- Marmalade – omit 1 cup of sugar
- Mincemeat – omit 1 cup of sugar
- Oranges – chopped
- Peaches – fresh or canned, chopped
- Peppermint – use only 1/2 cup
- Pears – chopped
- Pineapple – crushed, well drained
- Prunes – chopped (use only 1 cup)
- Pumpkin – canned
- Raisins
- Raspberries
- Rhubarb, – finely chopped
- Strawberries – fresh or drained frozen
- Sweet potato – grated coarsely
- Tapioca – cooked
- Tomatoes – use 1/2 cup sugar only
- Yams – Plain or flavored
- Zucchini – grated, excess water removed
Easy and wonderful. Making again for friends. Thanks Amy
Great recipe. Enjoying the banana chocolate chip combo right now. My kids said they like this bread even more than muffins!
So glad you are enjoying this recipe…have a little fun look up the original A to Z recipe in the Contra Costa Times Grand Prize Winner 1976. See its evolution. Have fun. Hazel Lawson Gentry
What if you don’t want chocolate chips, can I sub walnuts ?
Still using this recipe. I obtained it thru the fireman Chef Jim Neil on the “People are Talking” show. S.F., 9/13/83
I made the pumpkin and butterscotch early this morning. The flavor combination is AMAZING. I had to control myself not to eat the entire loaf. Great easy recipe. Will make again and again – thank you!
Do you think I could use jarred mincemeat wet and candied fruit dry
I’ve never tried mincemeat, but it is on the completed list (which I just added as its own separate printable.) The original note says to omit 1 cup of the sugar, if you’re using it. I would assume if you use 1 cup of mincemeat (which is wet?) and 1 cup of dried fruit it would be totally fine.
Ty so much.
I made the banana and chocolate chip version this morning for breakfast – easy and delish! I’m going to make the apple and cranberry for Christmas morning. Thanks for such a versatile recipe!
Just wonderful!
Amy by chance do you have the complete A-Z list ? I had a recipe just like this that my Gramz had cut out of a paper years ago but she is 93 now so you can only imagine what the print on the notanrespaper anymore looks like I can’t even see when she cut it out anymore
Thanks for posting and bringing up those smell good memories from her kitchen
Hi Carrie – so glad it brought back fond memories. This recipe is timeless, for sure. I do actually have the completed list…in a file somewhere. And it’s lengthy. Let me get through the month of December and I’ll look for it and type it up. Thanks for your patience!
I woul like the completed list of ingredients as well. Thanks
I added it. Enjoy!
Can this be made in mini loaf pans and how many do you think it will make?
Hi Barbara – I’ve never altered this recipe that way, so I couldn’t say with any certainty. I love the idea, though! I think a previous commenter said they converted the recipe to muffins. I don’t know what size your mini pans are, but my guess would be you could probably make 4-6. Make sure the batter is evenly distributed and only 2/3 of the way full. And start checking them after 20-25 minutes because they will bake more quickly. Hope that helps!
Barbara most of the time you can get 2-3 mini loafs out of 1 std loaf pan. I hope this helps
Right. And this recipe makes 2 regular, which is why I said 4-6 minis :)
Followed recipe exactly, used the pumpkin butterscotch chip option. After an hour went to pull bread out of pans and it’s not done. Any idea why? Does it ever take more than an hour?
Hi Michelle – no, it never takes more than an hour. Did you use 1 cup of pumpkin and 1 cup of the chips? Did you evenly distribute the batter between two loaf pans? Were the loaf pans 9×5 or smaller? Those details can affect the recipe.
I was actually just coming here to say I made the pumpkin/butterscotch yesterday and we loved it so much I made the apple/cranberry one this morning, which was also a hit. Followed recipe without any issues. I was tempted to freeze the second loaves, but we’re eating them too fast. Will be perfect for weekday breakfast. Great go-to recipe! Thank you!
Different ovens vary I know a lot of times it takes longer for me and it’s not that your oven or her oven is bad it just might not be calibrated correctly
What pan size did you use?
Two 9×5 loaf pans.
I made mashed banana &raisin then swirled through melted nutella made a yummy loaf .I think A to Z is a fantastic idea for bread making .Thank you Amy :)
Thanks, Raewyn…I love the combo you went with!
Love this recipe! I am originally from Concord and have been using this recipe since it was printed in the Contra Cossta Times. Every time I make it someone asks for the recipe, it is my go-to recipe for a tasty treat.
My mom must have clipped this recipe from – The Contra Costa Times- or whatever the local paper was, as we were living in Walnut Creek in 1976. We’ve made this recipe for years and it is popular every time. I just made Pumpkin Bread the other day and it received rave reviews! Really, the possibilities are endless. We may still have the original clipping.
I think my mother still has the original clipping as well. It’s truly the baking world’s best kept secret!
My Mom used to make this and |I’ve made it countless times too. One year after Thanksgiving I made it using the leftover mashed potatoes, yams and cranberries!My kids were amazed. You can pretty much combine anything and it turns out yummy. Definitely a keeper.
Clever! Yes, this bread is like the hidden gem of the quick bread world, for sure.
Oh my goodness — I have been making A-Z Bread for as long as your Mom has! It is my favorite too. I made my own version of the A-Z with bananas, crushed pineapple, grated orange peel, and coconut. We were trying to raise funds to help pay for a new chapel with Hawaiian themed dinners – I made 28 loaves. Ahhh — those were the good old days!
Great combination to fit your theme. This recipe is pure gold!
We lived in Walnut Creek when Hazel Gentry created this recipe and was the grand prize winner in Contra Costa County. (She was a friend of mine and we participated in a local food co-op program.) I have lost my copy of the recipe and was glad to find this one. However, there are several of letters missing. Could you please send me the complete recipe with the list of various ingredients? The reason it was called A to Z was that she had an ingredient for every letter of the alphabet — even curshed peppermint candy. I have made most of the breads and each one is unique. Hope you can help me. Thank you in advance for your assistance. Cheers, Marcy LaSalle, Flushing, Michigan (mllasalle@aol.com)
It’s great that you have the recipe written down. Having it in your head, is great. Sad thing is, that’s how some “favorite” recipes, never make it in writting. We had a few of my grandma’s favorites, which she always made from memory and no mater how hard we try, we can’t re-create them. I’m making my dad write down some of “our favorites” so that way, they can be passed down and not just a memory!
Great recipe, Amy…I printed it. I love endless combinations. :-)
Isn’t it a classic? I just love how there’s a base, but you can change it up so many ways to suit your liking. After I post a recipe, I actually print it out too…just like my readers. That way I always have a hard-copy. But, ya, this one? I have memorized.
Here it is fall again and I’m pulling out this recipe to start baking bread again! So much easier, healthier and yummier than the boxed stuff!
This sounds fabulous!
I’ve made this too many times to count, with most of your combo suggestions. SO easy and I love that one loaf is plenty for a get together, leaving the other loaf for a different time. Awesome, awesome bread. Love Julie’s idea of creating muffins too.
I just made this and it was fantastic!! I ended up making muffins instead of a loaf and used pumpkin, pecan and raisin combo. To my delight, it took me back to my favorite pumpkin muffins from Cafe Roma! Yummmy!!! And so simple!
I will definitely make this again and again! Thanks Amy!
I need to ask: for sure 2 cops of sugar? Is it not too much? Thanks
Yes, 2 cups of sugar. Quick Bread is really cake in disguise, and remember this makes 2 loaves.