Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

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Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Loaded with beautiful black poppy seeds, this is a classic recipe and a favorite for many people. This bread has a light buttery lemon taste. The lemon zest adds a beautiful sprinkling of yellow throughout the loaf.
Recipe type: Dessert | Quick Bread
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 9"x5"x2¾" Loaf Pan Pan Prep: Greased and Floured Oven Temp: 350° Yield: 1 Loaf Storage: Tightly Wrapped, Room Temperature

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Ingredients
Batter:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk, chilled
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare one 9x5x2¾ inch loaf pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening and dust with flour. Tip: to make baked bread easier to remove from pan, lightly grease the pan, line with parchment paper, and then lightly grease the top of the parchment paper and dust with flour.
Batter:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, lemon extract, lemon zest, and poppy seed; whisk together until well blended. Add flour mixture; stir just until blended.
  3. Bake: Pour batter in the loaf pan. Bake 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and let cool about 15 minutes. Grabbing the top edges of the parchment paper, lift bread from loaf pans and place on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Remove parchment paper and discard.
Testing for doneness: Use the baking times given in the recipe as an estimate as some ovens bake faster or slower than others. Insert a wooden toothpick or long wooden skewer near the center of the bread and remove it. There should be a few moist crumbs attached to the toothpick or skewer, but not batter. Or, insert an instant read thermometer into the middle of the loaf; the internal temperature should range between 195-205 degrees F. Tip: I like to use a combination of the toothpick test plus a temperature reading using a Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer for an accurate test of doneness.