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My husband bought a slice of lemon blueberry bread at the coffee shop on his way to work every morning for a year. Then one day he worked out that a single slice cost him as much as a whole loaf made at home, and he came home and told me so, as if it were my idea. So I made him a whole loaf. It is soft and moist and tastes of lemon all the way through, with juicy blueberries in every slice and a thick white lemon glaze on top that cracks a little when you cut it. He has not bought a slice since.
The question everybody asks about blueberry bread is the same one: why do the blueberries all sink into a purple layer at the bottom of the pan? Blueberries are heavier than a thin batter, and wet berries slide straight down. The fix is two small steps. A spoonful of the flour tossed with the berries gives them something to grip, and a thin layer of plain batter on the bottom of the pan means the first berries land on batter, not on the pan. A thick batter helps too. Here is how to keep the blueberries from sinking, and how to get that bright coffee shop lemon flavor.
Why this lemon blueberry bread works
- Zest rubbed into the sugar. Rubbing lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers pulls out the oils, so the whole loaf tastes of lemon, not just the glaze.
- Buttermilk. It makes a tender, moist crumb and its tang sharpens the lemon.
- A thick batter. A thick batter holds the berries in place while the loaf rises.
- Floured berries and a plain bottom layer. The two steps that stop the blueberries sinking to the bottom.
- A lemon soak, then a glaze. Lemon syrup brushed on the warm loaf keeps it moist for days, and the thick glaze gives the coffee shop look.
Ingredients
Makes one 9x5 inch loaf, about 10 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the loaf
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g), plus 1 tablespoon for the berries
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (115g)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (180ml)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (225g)
For the lemon soak
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the glaze
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (150g)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
If you use frozen blueberries, do not thaw them. Toss them in the flour straight from the freezer and fold them in at the last moment so they do not bleed purple streaks through the batter.
How to make lemon blueberry bread
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Butter a 9x5 inch metal loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment, leaving the ends hanging over the long sides as handles.
- In a bowl, whisk the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Put the sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and rub them together with your fingertips for a minute, until the sugar is damp, pale yellow and smells strongly of lemon.
- Whisk the melted butter into the lemon sugar, then the eggs one at a time, then the buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture and fold with a spatula only until no dry flour shows. The batter should be thick.
- In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the extra tablespoon of flour until they are lightly coated.
- Spread about 1/2 cup of the plain batter over the bottom of the pan.
- Fold the floured blueberries into the rest of the batter with a few gentle strokes, then spoon it over the plain layer and smooth the top.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the top is golden and cracked and a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean. If the top browns too fast after 40 minutes, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it.
- While it bakes, stir the lemon juice and sugar for the soak until the sugar dissolves.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Poke the top all over with a toothpick and brush on the lemon soak slowly, letting it sink in.
- Lift the loaf out by the parchment and let it cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour.
- Whisk the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, adding the last spoonful a few drops at a time, until the glaze is thick but pourable. Pour it over the cooled loaf and let it run down the sides. Let it set for 15 minutes before slicing.
Tips that make the difference
- Fold the blueberries in with as few strokes as possible. Every extra stroke crushes berries and thins the batter.
- Use a metal loaf pan. A glass pan browns the outside before the dense center is baked.
- The glaze must go on a completely cold loaf, or it melts and soaks in instead of setting thick and white.
- If the glaze is too thin, whisk in more powdered sugar a spoonful at a time. It should fall from the whisk in a thick ribbon.
Variations
- Lemon blueberry muffins. Divide the batter among 12 lined muffin cups and bake for 20 to 24 minutes.
- Sour cream loaf. Use full-fat sour cream in place of the buttermilk for a denser, richer crumb.
- Raspberry. Use raspberries instead of blueberries, frozen ones hold their shape best.
- Orange. Use orange zest and juice in the batter and glaze for an orange blueberry loaf.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the loaf covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. The lemon soak keeps it moist.
In a warm kitchen, keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and let slices come to room temperature before eating.
Freeze the unglazed loaf, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months. Thaw it in its wrapping, then glaze.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my blueberries sink?
The berries were not coated in flour, the batter was too thin, or they were folded in too hard. Toss them in flour, keep the batter thick and spread a plain layer on the bottom of the pan first.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes. Keep them frozen, coat them in flour and fold them in last. The loaf may need 5 more minutes in the oven.
I have no buttermilk. What can I use?
Stir 2 teaspoons of lemon juice into 3/4 cup of whole milk and let it stand for 5 minutes, or use plain yogurt thinned with a little milk.
Why is my loaf raw in the middle?
The oven was too hot, so the outside set before the center. Bake at 350 degrees, cover the top with foil if it browns early, and trust the toothpick test.
Bake it on a Sunday, slice it thick, and put the coffee on. It is cheaper than the coffee shop and nobody has to stand in line.
Lemon Blueberry Bread (Coffee Shop Loaf, Berries That Never Sink)
Moist lemon blueberry bread like the coffee shop loaf: lemon zest rubbed into the sugar, buttermilk for a tender crumb, blueberries suspended through every slice, a lemon soak and a thick lemon glaze on top.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g), plus 1 tablespoon for the berries
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Butter a 9x5 inch metal loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment, leaving the ends hanging over the long sides as handles.
- In a bowl, whisk the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Put the sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and rub them together with your fingertips for a minute, until the sugar is damp, pale yellow and smells strongly of lemon.
- Whisk the melted butter into the lemon sugar, then the eggs one at a time, then the buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture and fold with a spatula only until no dry flour shows. The batter should be thick.
- In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the extra tablespoon of flour until they are lightly coated.
- Spread about 1/2 cup of the plain batter over the bottom of the pan.
- Fold the floured blueberries into the rest of the batter with a few gentle strokes, then spoon it over the plain layer and smooth the top.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the top is golden and cracked and a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean. If the top browns too fast after 40 minutes, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it.
- While it bakes, stir the lemon juice and sugar for the soak until the sugar dissolves.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Poke the top all over with a toothpick and brush on the lemon soak slowly, letting it sink in.
- Lift the loaf out by the parchment and let it cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour.
- Whisk the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, adding the last spoonful a few drops at a time, until the glaze is thick but pourable. Pour it over the cooled loaf and let it run down the sides. Let it set for 15 minutes before slicing.
