Blueberry & Lemon Soda Bread
I love the combination of blueberries and lemon and I love soda bread so the other day I developed Blueberry & Lemon Soda Bread.
My first attempt tasted great when still warm but after it cooled down I realised that the texture was all wrong. I’d gone off piste and used eggs, yogurt and oil and no bicarbonate of soda just baking powder along with plain white flour, this made for a very claggy loaf.
So I went back to the drawing board determined to make this work as the flavour was spot on and the outer crust with the crunchy Demerera sugar was just delightful.
For my second attempt I ditched the eggs, yogurt and oil and plumped for milk and lemon juice which is often used as an alternative to buttermilk.
I don’t actually like the flavour buttermilk gives to soda bread so always use the milk and lemon juice in its place. This worked really well as it boosted the lemon flavour provided by the lemon zest.
I also decided to use some spelt wholemeal flour to improve the texture and depth of flavour and put the bicarbonate of soda back in as this really gives soda bread it’s unique taste which was missing from my first attempt.
I was really pleased with the final Blueberry & Lemon Soda Bread (as were my family) which is great served warm or cold and will last a couple of days stored in an airtight container.
Enjoy it with just butter or ply with jam or my Granny’s Quick Lemon Curd would go brilliantly, it really is a delicious and healthier treat for teatime or breakfast. If your children are still on summer break why not get them to make it, this recipe is so quick and easy to make!
I do hope you try my delicious Blueberry & Lemon Soda Bread but if you need more fruity soda bread ideas you might like:
- Apple & Pear Cider Spelt Soda Bread
- Christmas Soda Bread
- Slow Cooker Tropical Soda Bread
- Blackberry & Apple Spelt Soda Bread
Pin for later!
Blueberry & Lemon Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 180 mls milk I used semi-skimmed
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 200 g plain flour
- 150 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 50 g sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- zest of 1 unwaxed lemon*
- 90 g frozen blueberries
- Demerara sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190ºC.
- Prepare baking sheet by dusting with flour.
- Stir the lemon juice into the milk then put aside.
- Sieve the flours, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl (tipping the spelt husks that are left into the bowl).
- Mix in the caster sugar, salt, lemon zest and frozen blueberries.
- Add the curdled milk and mix to a dough with a fork then bring together with an oiled hand to form a ball of dough.
- Tip onto the baking tray and flatten to a circle measuring about 16 cm. (Speed is required to get this in the oven asap as the raising agents start working as soon as he liquid is added).
- Cut a deep cross into the dough (going nearly all the way through but not quite) and then sprinkle the top with demerara sugar.
- Bake in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes until the base sounds hollow when knocked.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Serve warm or cold with butter (and jam or lemon curd if desired).
- Will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container.
Mark Olson
I made this for me and my wife for breakfast this morning using our home grown blueberries. It is a little hassle converting to American measurements but well worth it. I don’t have spelt flour so I substituted seven grain flour. The dough seemed a little dry so I added more milk and probably got it a little too moist. It was still delicious. Some other combinations of fruit or berries and nuts would be good as well.
Camilla
Excellent Mark, so glad you like the recipe. If you want to make really accurate bakes then I can’t recommend a set of scales more highly as cups of flour can vary in weight hugely depending on how they’re packed so that’s why I don’t have conversions on my blog as they just wouldn’t be accurate and I want my recipes to work for everyone who tries them:-)
Linda
I’m sorry but this came out tasting sour and like way too much baking soda. I measured carefully and mine turned out flat like a pancake. I’m glad it worked for some of you.
Camilla
Hi Linda, I have just checked the recipe and I am so very sorry as there appear to be 2 typos for the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, they should have said tsp and not tbsp. I feel terrible, please accept my sincerest apologies. I have corrected now.
Dawna T
This looks tasty! Can it be made gluten-free?
Camilla
Hi Dawna, I asked a gluten free blogger friend of mine from Free From Fairy for a soda bread recipe which you might be able to adapt https://freefromfairy.com/gluten-free-soda-bread-cheese-sundried-tomato/
Maya Russell
I can just imagine how nice it tastes with a bit of butter and a cup of tea. Mmm!
Camilla
It is super lush with butter-)
Lucy
Mmm delicious! My lot love lemon and blueberries so I will have to give this a whirl. Thanks for linking to my recipe too.
Camilla
Thanks Lucy, I’m sure you could make this into a slow cooker recipe too:-)
Choclette
Mmm, love a fruity soda bread and blueberry and lemon is a great combination. I tend to use kefir instead of buttermilk, but I’m surprised yoghurt didn’t work.
Camilla
Thanks Choclette. I think it didn’t help that I used thick Greek yogurt so the mixture was too dry and dense along with just white flour so reverted back to a tried and tested formula:-)