Lemon Bread
By norsegal8
This bread is a treat for anyone who loves the fresh, bright taste of citrus. Made doubly moist by the lemon-sugar glaze applied after it comes out of the oven, it's reminiscent of poke cake (remember that?). It's sweet enough to serve for dessert, yet tart enough to go well in a brunch breadbasket with other muffins and breads.
- 1
Ingredients
- Bread
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter
- 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon oil OR 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Glaze
- juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
Preparation
Step 1
For the bread: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar till thoroughly combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix the buttermilk or yogurt with the lemon juice and lemon oil, and set aside. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven, and poke it all over with a cake tester, ice pick, or other long, thin tool.
For the glaze: Five minutes before the bread is done, whisk together the glaze ingredients, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and while the cake is hot drizzle it gradually with the glaze, stopping periodically to allow it to soak in. Set the bread aside, and let it cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove it from the pan, and allow it to cool completely before slicing. Yield: 1 loaf.