Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 

Lemon Glaze

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 8 by 4-inch baking dish, set aside.

In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt for 20 seconds, set aside. Add sugar and lemon zest to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Rub lemon zest with sugar using your fingertips, until the mixture becomes moist and pale yellow. Add butter to sugar mixture and ship on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, adding in vanilla with last egg.

In (microwave safe) liquid measuring cup used to measure milk, whisk together the milk with sour cream. Heat mixture in microwave just until no longer cold.

Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture (to the butter/sugar mixture) alternating with 1/2 of the milk mixture and 1 Tbsp lemon juice (each time), and mixing just until combined after each addition. Bake in preheated oven 45-55 minutes, tenting with foil at 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes in loaf pan, then invert loaf onto a wire rack and brush top with the lemon glaze (it will take several coats but use it all. Give it a second between coats to absorb as needed). 

For the lemon glaze: Combine lemon juice and sugar in a bowl and heat in microwave on HIGH power (or over stove top on small saucepan, med-high heat) and heat in 15 second intervals, whisking between intervals until sugar has dissolved and mixture is hot.