When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemon Bread

Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Seriously—it’s the easiest lemon bread ya ever did bake! I swear this zesty recipe is so straightforward it’s hard to believe. Luckily, we had a lemon lying around our (shelter-in-)place, so no people were (even potentially!) harmed in the the baking of this bread.

If your eyes have glazed over from all of the sourdough bread and Dalgona coffee posts, here’s a bread-er alternative for your quarantine boredom. 🙂

What to expect:

The result is a sweet bite with a tangy aftertaste. The bread itself is very soft and fluffy with a crunchy glazed exterior that makes the texture a bit more interesting. In terms of the recipe, it's extremely easy-to-follow and requires ingredients that you probably already have in your house. (That’s a huge plus any day, but especially in the age of corona!) The only step that took longer than expected was zesting the lemon. It takes longer than you may expect—luckily time probably isn’t an issue these days…

Also of note: this bread bakes fast. I typically write that my bakes take longer in the oven than the recipe called for, but this time, it was fully baked at the 45-minute mark, if not slightly overdone on the edges. So I would recommend setting the timer for 40 minutes and checking the bread with a toothpick then.

What I changed:

My changes were quarantine-related substitutions. I didn’t have sour cream so I substituted with milk; the extra liquid (not surprisingly) made the bread dough more batter-y. But it turned out well despite the substitution.

For the glaze, I only had half a cup of powdered sugar on hand, so I halved the lemon juice amount as well. Even with less glaze, I managed to cover the whole lemon bread loaf. Since I used less sugar, does that make this healthier…? We’ll go with ‘yes.’

Please exsqueeze all the bad puns and happy baking!

Glazed Lemon Bread Recipe by Live Well Bake Often:

INGREDIENTS

For the lemon bread:

• 1 and 3/4 cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) canola or vegetable oil
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (230 grams) sour cream
• 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest - zest of 1 lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the lemon glaze:

• 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the lemon bread:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, and vanilla until fully combined.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together and mix until just combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it around into one even layer. Bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If needed, tent with foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning on top of the bread.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the loaf pan. Carefully remove from the loaf pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the lemon glaze:

1. Once the bread has cooled, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. If the glaze is too thick, add more lemon juice as needed. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
2. Pour the glaze on the bread and spread it around to fully cover the top of the bread. Allow the glaze to harden for 15-20 minutes, then slice and enjoy!