Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Print PinServings: 12
Total Time: 1 hour
Calories: 287kcal
This lemon poppy seed bread is bright, moist, and packed with citrusy flavor. Finished with a tangy lemon glaze, it’s a simple, easy bake that's perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert!
Ingredients
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest* about 3 lemons
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze**
- 1 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon water or more to reach desired consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a metal bread pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In one of the bowls, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and poppy seeds. Set aside for later.2 cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest* to the second bowl.Use your fingers to rub them together until well combined. Rubbing the lemon zest with the sugar will release oils from the zest into the sugar, giving the bread a stronger citrusy flavor.1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoon lemon zest*
- Add the softened butter to the sugar-lemon zest mixture. Using a hand mixer, mix on medium speed until all the butter is incorporated. Then add the eggs, and mix on medium speed until well mixed.½ cup unsalted butter, 2 large eggs
- Add the Greek yogurt, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until well mixed.½ cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup whole milk, 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just barely combined.
- Add the batter to the oiled bread pan and smooth over the top. Bake for about 40-50 minutes (cover loosely with tin foil if it starts to darken too fast). The bread will be done when the center is set and a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs sticking to it. Check the bread at the 40 minute mark and assess from there.
- Immediately remove bread from the pan and let it cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before drizzling on the lemon glaze.
Lemon Glaze
- While the bread cools, make the glaze. Whisk together the lemon juice and almond extract. Gradually mix in the sifted powdered sugar until smooth. It will be extremely thick--then mix in the water to thin it out--add more water if necessary.1 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, 1 ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon water
- Drizzle the glaze over the loaf, and let it set for a few minutes.
Notes
Make sure to use room-temperature ingredients when indicated so that the batter mixes well without the need to overmix. To quickly soften the butter, place the stick of butter in the microwave for about 6 seconds, then flip it to another side, and repeat until softened. For the eggs, place them in a bowl with warm water for a few minutes before cracking. For the Greek yogurt and milk, place them together in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for about 30 seconds or until room-temperature.
*When zesting the lemons, zest only the yellow portion of the rind. The white portion of the rind adds a bitter taste, and you'll want to avoid that.
**This portion of glaze will likely be more than you need--I typically use about half. Use as much as you'd like!
Equipment
- metal bread pan
- cooking spray
- 2 large bowls
- whisk
- hand mixer
- silicone spatula
- tin foil
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons