Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 bacon strips (fully cooked and chopped)
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar
- 3 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 1 egg (raw, room temperature)
- 4 eggs (boiled to desired doneness and peeled)
- 7 bacon strips (par-cooked)
Preheat your oven to 375℉. Prepare your loaf pan by greasing the sides and bottom, then fit a length of parchment paper inside with a bit of the paper overhanging the edges. Have your 4 boiled and peeled eggs and partially cooked bacon strips ready to go.
In a medium bowl, mix together the first 10 ingredients until evenly distributed. In a smaller bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, and single raw egg.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or spatula, gently stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened. If adding pre-cooked veggies, fold them into the mixture now.
Quickly, evenly spread a third of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Place the four boiled eggs, side-by-side or however they fit best, on top of the batter. They will be the center of your loaf. Next, spread the remaining two thirds of batter over the eggs, ensuring the mixture completely covers the tops of the eggs and also makes its way down the sides and in between the eggs as much as possible. It should connect to the first amount of batter you put on the bottom.
Lay the seven par-cooked bacon strips across the top of the loaf in a fancy houndstooth pattern (or however you like). Immediately pop the loaf into the oven and bake at 375℉ for 35 minutes. The loaf should dome on top, spring back when touched, and become toasty-brown, and the bacon strips should be crisped. Gently lift the loaf out of the loaf pan by grabbing the overhanging parchment paper, and allow to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, or cool completely before storing it for the week.