Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2

Grease a 9x5 inch aluminum loaf pan with butter.

Step 3

Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.

Step 4

Mix the wet ingredients: In another large bowl, mix the egg and sugar until evenly combined. Whisk the oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until evenly mixed.

Step 5

Gradually, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking as you pour just until there are no lumps as best as you can. Try not overmix.

Step 6

Reserve about 3 tablespoons of strawberries for later and set aside. Toss the remaining diced strawberries with 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Gently, fold in the floured strawberries into the batter.

Step 7

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Top with the reserved 3 tablespoons of diced strawberries, gently pushing them down into the batter but letting them still be visible. This will make the bread more beautiful.

Step 8

Bake for about 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, and until golden brown. At 40 minutes into baking, cover with foil to prevent it from browning too much. Tip: don't open the oven too many times while baking or the bread will not rise properly.

Step 9

Let cool slightly and slice. The strawberries inside will look a bit pale, which is normal.