Lemon Poppyseed Streusel Bread

This makes 1 (8 ½ x 4 ½ inch) loaf

Fresh lemons in Phoenix in the Spring had me looking for a recipe for a lemon bread. This recipe was adapted from “Baked from Scratch” and is not too sweet. It is perfect after the cinnamon and sugary breads and muffins during the Holidays.

Streusel:

¼  cup  all-pupose flour

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1 ½ tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Batter:

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons lemon zest

½  cup unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs room temperature  (I use extra large eggs for high altitude), room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (+2 tablespoons for high altitude)

1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup whole buttermilk, room temperature (add another 2 tablespoons for HA)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

  1. For streusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and poppy seeds. Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut in cold butter until incorporated and mixture is crumbly. Refrigerate until ready to use, at least 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 375° Spray an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan with baking spray. Line pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over all sides of pan.
  3. For batter: In bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together sugar and lemon zest by hand until sugar is fragrant. Add butter; using the paddle attachment, beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape bottom and sides of bowl if necessary. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. In a separate, small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and lemon juice. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Spread batter into prepared pan. Firmly tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter to settle batter. Top batter with streusel
  5. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F, and bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. (Good luck keeping people away from it. It smells heavenly while cooking and cooling!)