Email to Cat      

Lemon Poppy Seed Tea Bread

Source of Recipe

From "Red Truck Bakery Cookbook" by Brian Noyes


Recipe Introduction

"When it comes to our baked goods, we try to stay as seasonal and local as possible. January, however, doesn't offer up much in the way of produce, and by then we're all yearning for a taste of spring. We start making this simple lemon quick bread as soon as we flip the calendar to the new year, and continue offering it through the end of the summer. It's a popular hostess gift for new neighbors or to cheer up a friend, and it's great with hot tea or coffee. Since the lemon is so important here, definitely use fresh juice, not the bottled stuff."

List of Ingredients

Bread:
â—¦ Nonstick cooking spray
â—¦ 1 cup granulated sugar
â—¦ 1 tablespoon lemon zest
â—¦ ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
â—¦ 1 cup buttermilk
â—¦ 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
â—¦ 1 teaspoon baking powder
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
â—¦ 2 tablespoons canola oil
â—¦ 2 large eggs
â—¦ ½ cup coarsely chopped crystallized ginger
â—¦ 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Glaze:
â—¦ ½ cup granulated sugar
â—¦ 2 teaspoons lemon zest
â—¦ ¼ cup fresh lemon juice


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Coat an 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Make the bread:
In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Let sit for a few minutes to let the zest infuse the sugar with citrus flavor.

In a separate small bowl, mix together the lemon juice and buttermilk. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, canola oil, and sugar-zest mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour; beat well after each addition. Stir in the chopped ginger and poppy seeds by hand. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Run a knife around the inside edge to loosen the bread, then flip it onto a raised wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the glaze:
In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Gently poke the top of the bread numerous times with a small knife or skewer. Brush the lemon glaze over the top and sides of the bread, then repeat until all of the glaze is used.

Let the loaf cool completely while the glaze soaks in.

Makes one (8 ½ x 4 ½-inch) loaf