Description
This Blueberry Bread Loaf is a moist and tender quick bread bursting with juicy blueberries and a bright hint of lemon zest. It features a simple blend of everyday ingredients to create a delightful, lightly sweetened loaf topped with a tangy lemon icing glaze. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a handheld dessert, this loaf balances the freshness of blueberries with a soft crumb and crisp crust.
Ingredients
Bread Loaf
- 1 3/4 cups plain / all purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar (preferably caster/superfine)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup plain yoghurt (preferably not low fat)
- 3 large eggs (55 – 60g / 2oz each)
- 2 tsp lemon zest (from 1 large or 2 small lemons)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup canola oil (or vegetable, grapeseed oil)
- 2 tsp flour (for coating blueberries)
- 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries (no need to defrost)
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp milk (if needed to adjust thickness)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan forced) to ensure it is hot enough for baking the loaf evenly.
- Prepare Loaf Pan: Butter and line an 21 x 11 x 7 cm (8.3 x 4.5 x 2.75″) loaf pan with parchment or baking paper for easy release after baking.
- Coat Blueberries: Toss blueberries with 2 teaspoons of flour. This step helps keep the blueberries suspended in the batter and prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, white sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt until evenly combined.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the yoghurt, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and canola oil. Whisk together until just incorporated into a smooth batter.
- Fold in Blueberries: Gently fold the flour-coated blueberries into the batter, including any residual flour left in the bowl, taking care not to overmix to keep the loaf tender.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. Then, cover the top loosely with foil to prevent over-browning and bake for an additional 15 to 25 minutes. Check with a skewer after 15 minutes; if it comes out with wet batter, bake for another 10 minutes or until the skewer is clean.
- Cool: Remove the loaf from oven and let it rest for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents sogginess and sets the crumb structure.
- Prepare Glaze: Whisk the sifted icing sugar with lemon juice until smooth. Add milk a little at a time if the glaze is too thick to achieve a pourable consistency.
- Glaze Loaf: Pour or spread the lemon glaze evenly over the cooled loaf while it rests on a rack placed over a baking tray. Allow the glaze to set for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving for a perfect finish.
Notes
- Using plain yoghurt instead of low fat gives the loaf a richer texture and moist crumb.
- Coating blueberries with flour is essential to prevent them from sinking in the batter during baking.
- Adjust glaze thickness with milk carefully to avoid it being too runny; it should be pourable but able to set.
- Check doneness by inserting a skewer in the center; it should come out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached.
- Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used; no need to thaw if using frozen.
