The Best Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

When life hands you lemons, serve them up on a plate with the best lemon poppy seed bread.

A big thank you to Nellie’s Free Range for sponsoring this recipe, the best lemon poppy seed bread. All opinions are mine alone.

This year has been a wild ride so far, hasn’t it? I think every single person could come up with an example of how this season has come with so many hardships…but also so many blessings.

I am so grateful that my family is healthy and spending lots of quality time together. We’ve spent a lot of time baking lately, which inspired this sweet and sour recipe: The best lemon poppy seed bread.

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I’ve loved lemon poppy seed muffins since I tasted them for the first time as a little kid.  As I got a little older, I learned how to make from a boxed mix. Since then, I have upgraded my techniques!

Today I’m going to share what I consider to be a less fussy version of my favorite poppy seed muffins, because this can be made in a loaf pan. It contains all the basics you keep on hand: flour, sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla and butter.

It also calls for a few extras you may or may not keep on hand, like poppy seeds and lemons…but you could totally substitute lemon concentrate if you don’t have fresh! I try to use  high quality ingredients when I bake, including Nellie’s Free Range Eggs. I also got to try their newest offering: Nellie’s Free Range Butter—it contains 84% butterfat and comes from grass-fed cows raised exclusively on American, family-run dairy farms. 

Since it contains 84 percent butterfat and is made with cream from humanely raised cows that are free to roam on pasture, the result is a butter that has a richer flavor and creamier texture than other options on the market.

Start by combining flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer, combine butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until it turns a pale light yellow color. Slowly add eggs to the mixture.

Add vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream and poppy seeds. Mix until combined, about 1 minute.

TIP: If you don’t have a citrus press, just slice your lemons into halves, and press a whisk into each half to extract the pulp and the juice (making sure to strain out the seeds!).

Keeping the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and buttermilk (made by combining milk and lemon juice) until just combined.

Next, transfer the batter to a greased 9×5″ loaf pan. You can also line the pan with a strip of parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides to more easily lift the bread out. Bake for 70-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

When the bread is cooled, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Then slowly add milk until you reach the desired consistency. 

I prefer it to be thick like icing, and not too runny like a glaze. Spread over the bread and let harden before serving.

The result will be a sweet and tangy dessert bread that is moist and flavorful.

Lemon poppy seed bread is the perfect summer treat, but soo delicious year-round.

Ready to give it a try? Tell me what you think in the comments below! Enjoy!

The Best Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

The Best Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Yield: 12-16
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

When life hands you lemons, serve them up on a plate with this delicious summer dessert bread: the best lemon poppy seed bread!

Ingredients

  • Bread
  • 1 3/4 C. All purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 3/4 C. Nellie’s Free Range Unsalted Butter, melted
  • 1 C. Sugar
  • 3 Large Nellie’s Free Range Eggs
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • Juice from 1 lemon (about 2 Tbsp.)
  • Zest from 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 C. Sour cream
  • 2 Tbsp. Poppy seeds
  • 3/4 C. Buttermilk
  • Icing
  • 1 C. Powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
  • 3 tsp. Milk
  • Sliced lemons for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300º. Grease a 9x5” loaf pan with oil. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides to lift out the bread.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flower, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes, until it turns a pale light yellow color. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream and poppy seeds. Mix until combined, about 1 minute.
  4. Keeping the mixer on low, blend in the milk and flour mixture until just combined.
  5. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and bake for 70-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
  6. When the bread is cooled, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Then slowly add milk until you reach the desired consistency. The icing should be thick and not too runny. Spread over the bread and let harden before serving.

Notes

  • Don't have buttermilk? Add ¾ Tbsp. vinegar OR lemon juice into ¾ C. milk, mix and let set for 1-2 minutes.
  • Don't have a citrus press? Press a handheld whisk into each half of the lemon to extract the fresh juice!

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