2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached flour, plus more for dusting pans
1 cup boiling orange juice
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups (9 ounces) whole dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 cup pecans (4 ounces), coarsely chopped
2/3 cup buttermilk
grated rind of one orange
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (5.25 ounces)
6 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan; dust with flour and tap out excess.
Stir together the orange juice, baking soda and dates. Cover and set aside until cool, about 30 minutes.
Toast nuts on a baking sheet for 5 – 10 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside.
Stir buttermilk and sugar together. Add melted butter, egg and orange rind; stir until combined. Stir date mixture into the milk mixture.
In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, salt and nuts together. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a spatula and mix just until moistened. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.
Bake on a middle rack until the load if dark brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 – 60 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 1 hour before serving.
The loaf will keep wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to three days.