Pioneer Woman Lemon Blueberry Bread

This lemon blueberry bread is made with oil, sour cream, fresh lemon, and juicy blueberries, finished with a lemon glaze. It’s a soft, moist quick bread that needs no mixer. It takes about 3 hours 10 minutes with cooling and makes 12 slices.

The oil and sour cream are what keep this loaf moist and tender for days. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your hands first. That releases the oils in the zest so the lemon flavor runs through the whole bread, not just the glaze.

Toss the blueberries with a spoon of flour before folding them in. The coating grips the batter so the berries stay spread out instead of sinking to the bottom. Fold them in gently at the end so they don’t break and streak the loaf.

Pioneer Woman Lemon Blueberry Bread

Author: Hamdi Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:American Courses:Dessert

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:300 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

This lemon blueberry bread is a soft, no-mixer quick bread made moist with oil and sour cream, packed with fresh berries, and finished with a lemon glaze.

Ingredients

For the Bread:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pan
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• Zest of 3 lemons, plus 5 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
  
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  
• 1/8 teaspoon yellow liquid food coloring (about 4 drops, optional)
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 8 ounces)

For the Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with oil and set aside.
   
2. Add the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl and rub the zest into the sugar with clean hands to release the oils. Whisk in the sour cream, eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and the food coloring if using, until smooth.
   
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 2 cups of the flour together. In another bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just combined, then fold in the blueberries.
   
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, covering with foil after 40 minutes to stop excess browning.
   Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a wire rack. Turn it right-side up and let it cool completely, about 1 hour.
   
5. Meanwhile, stir the powdered sugar, melted butter, and remaining 3 tablespoons lemon juice together in a bowl. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until it’s thick but pourable.
   
6. Pour the glaze over the cooled loaf, letting it drip down the sides. Let it set for 30 minutes before slicing.

Keywords:Lemon Blueberry Bread

FAQs

Why rub the lemon zest into the sugar?

Rubbing the zest into the sugar with your hands presses out its oils, which carry most of the lemon flavor. That spreads the lemon through the whole loaf instead of leaving it in specks. Do it before you add anything wet.

Why do the oil and sour cream matter?

Oil stays liquid at room temperature and sour cream adds fat and moisture, so together they keep the bread soft and tender for days. It actually tastes better the next day once the lemon flavor settles in.

Can I use frozen blueberries?

Yes. Thaw them and pat them very dry first, so the extra liquid doesn’t bleed into the batter. Toss them with the tablespoon of flour like fresh ones so they stay evenly spread through the loaf.

Glass or metal loaf pan?

Either works. Glass gives a flatter, more even top like the one shown. Metal heats faster and pushes the batter to dome more in the center. Use whichever you have, just know the shape may vary.

What else can I bake with lemon and blueberries?

Plenty. For the pairing in cake form, try my Lemon-Blueberry Sheet Cake, or in a stack of my Lemon Blueberry Pancakes for a weekend breakfast.