Favorite Sourdough Lemon Poppyseed Bread

Treat yourself to a slice of heaven with this incredible sourdough lemon poppyseed bread! This quick bread recipe strikes the perfect balance of tangy and sweet notes, with flavors that are accompanied by a soft, crumbly texture and moist interior.

sliced sourdough lemon poppyseed bread drizzled with vanilla icing

The bread so delicious I made it twice in one week.

Easy to make and so darn good, this bread has quickly made its way onto my list of favorite recipes!

It’s beautiful golden color has helped brighten up all these dreary winter days, and it definitely hits the spot, especially with a hot cup of tea.

Let’s make it!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe


  • TEXTURE: Soft and fluffy with a moist interior, the texture of this bread really cannot be beat. Perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea!
  • PACKED WITH FLAVOR: This sourdough lemon poppyseed bread strikes the perfect balance of tart and sweet! The added glaze over the top just adds more delicious flavor.
  • USE UP SOURDOUGH DISCARD: Not true to its name, sourdough discard is great for use in a variety of recipes! I love to use it a variety of baked goods for a little gut healthy boost, like these sourdough sconeshomemade pizza dough, and even sourdough discard tortillas!

Ingredients You’ll Need

This is a quick overview of essential ingredients needed for this recipe. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list!

  • Sourdough Starter: I used sourdough discard in this recipe, but active starter will also work.
  • Lemon Juice + Zest: I recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice if possible. Lemon zest also adds a ton of flavor!
  • Sour Cream: An essential ingredient! It ensures a moist bread.
  • Sugar: I used 1 cup of pure cane sugar in this recipe for a delightfully sweet bread.
  • Poppy Seeds: Gotta have ’em! You’ll need around 1 tbsp for this recipe.

How to Make Sourdough Lemon Poppyseed Bread

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a loaf pan by spraying with nonstick spray (I like to use avocado oil spray).
  2. Whisk the flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes.
  4. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs, sourdough discard, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract, and beat on medium-high speed until combined.
  5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined. Gently fold in the sour cream until just combined, being careful not to overmix. 
  6. Pour/spread the batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake the bread for 50 minutes to 1 hour, covering loosely with foil about halfway through to help the loaf bake evenly. Poke the center of the bread with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Keep in mind baking times will vary between ovens!
  7. Cool bread completely in the pan set on a wire cooling rack. Drizzle with vanilla icing (next step) while the bread is still warm. The glaze seeps down into the warm bread this way, adding extra moisture. I highly recommend it!

How to Make Quick Vanilla Icing

Just like this recipe for sourdough discard coffee cake and cinnamon swirl banana bread, this lemon poppyseed bread gets topped with a generous drizzle of vanilla icing (except we’ll substitute lemon juice for milk). It’s quick, easy to make, and makes the bread over the top delicious.

  1. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2-3 tbsp lemon juice, and a small splash of vanilla extract.
  2. Using a whisk, whisk together until smooth. The icing should be thick but pourable.
  3. Drizzle over the bread while it’s still warm.

FAQs

This bread stores well at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Make sure to cover tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for best results.

Yes! Once baked, allow the bread to cool completely. Store in an airtight and freezer safe container to store for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving and top with vanilla icing, if desired.

Yes. Sourdough discard is fermented, adding a lot of gut healthy benefits to recipes.

Tips & Tricks

  • Room temperature ingredients work best for the batter. To create a light and fluffy batter that mixes together well, I recommend using all room temperature ingredients.
  • I recommend using full fat sour cream in this recipe. You can substitute for plain Greek yogurt if needed, but the bread won’t be as rich.
  • If you find the bread is browning too quickly in the oven, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil to prevent it from over browning.

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Yield: 1 loaf

Sourdough Lemon Poppyseed Bread

sliced sourdough lemon poppyseed bread drizzled with vanilla icing

Treat yourself to a slice of heaven with this incredible sourdough lemon poppyseed bread! This quick bread recipe strikes the perfect balance of tangy and sweet notes, with flavors that are accompanied by a soft, crumbly texture and moist interior.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Bread

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 stick softened butter
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup sourdough discard
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 whole lemon)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
  • Splash vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a loaf pan by spraying with nonstick spray (I like to use avocado oil spray).
  2. Whisk the flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes.
  4. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs, sourdough discard, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract, and beat on medium-high speed until combined.
  5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined. Gently fold in the sour cream until just combined, being careful not to overmix. 
  6. Pour/spread the batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake the bread for 50 minutes to 1 hour, covering loosely with foil about halfway through to help the loaf bake evenly. Poke the center of the bread with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Keep in mind baking times will vary between ovens!
  7. Cool bread completely in the pan set on a wire cooling rack. Drizzle with vanilla icing (next step) while the bread is still warm. The glaze seeps down into the warm bread this way, adding extra moisture. I highly recommend it!

Notes

  • Room temperature ingredients work best for the batter. To create a light and fluffy batter that mixes together well, I recommend using all room temperature ingredients.
  • I recommend using full fat sour cream in this recipe. You can substitute for plain Greek yogurt if needed, but the bread won't be as rich.
  • If you find the bread is browning too quickly in the oven, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil to prevent it from over browning.
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    Rachael

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