If you’ve been blueberry picking, then this Healthy Blueberry Lemon Quick Bread is an absolute must-bake recipe! It is sweet and lemony and bursting with blueberries.

The science of baking never fails to humble me. I struggle to not take it personally when a recipe takes a bit longer to get to publish-worthy-status. I guess I am just an optimist. When I slide that baking pan into the oven with the expectation that the resulting quick bread will be nothing short of blue ribbon material, I am surely setting myself up for disappointment. Yet, I do it. Nine times in a row. And when the bread gets worse before it gets better, it is hard to not be down on one’s self.

And I could have solved the problem(s) by adding more sugar or fat to make the bread moister and sweeter. Or I could have solved the fact that the bread wasn’t rising correctly by eliminating some of the blueberries. Or taking out the whole-grain flour. But that’s not okay with me.

One of the things I did have to change was the sweetener. Originally I had tried using honey, but even at 325 degrees, the bread was getting way too dark. Honey (and maple syrup) cause baked goods to darken, so even though the flavor is delicious with the blueberries and lemon, the honey had to go. I switched to turbinado sugar, also sold as sugar in the raw and the darkening problem was resolved.

I also had some problems with the center of the bread collapsing. Ultimately, after many tests, I deduced that was due to the fact that there was not enough gluten formation to hold up the center of the bread to allow it to set and bake all the way through. I added a couple tablespoons of flour to the blend, and the problem resolved itself.

Tips for Baking Blueberry Lemon Quick Bread

The bread is made with a blend of white and whole-wheat flour. I like to use King Arthur Flour White Whole-Wheat flour because it is milder in flavor and lighter in color than regular whole-wheat flour. They act almost the same in baking recipes.

I used fresh blueberries in this recipe. In a couple tests, I tried using frozen berries, but they did not set up in the center. In one of the tests, I used frozen berries that were thawed and drained, and they worked fine, but I preferred the texture and juiciness of the fresh berries, so I prefer them while they are in season locally.

You can use evaporated cane juice instead of turbinado sugar, which as far as I can tell is just slightly finer granules than turbinado. I like Sugar in the Raw brand of turbinado because, while not organic, it is GMO-free and lighter in color, and keeps the bread nice and yellow.

When zesting and juicing the lemon, zest first then cut in half and juice the lemon. I like to use a microplane zester to get the zest. It makes lovely fluffy zest that blends into the recipe well. It looks like a lot of zest, but it actually really doesn’t taste overly lemony when mixed into the batter.

Beating the egg whites was one of the keys to the texture and rise of this bread. When beating egg whites, make sure there are no traces of yolk or oil in the bowl. Any fat will inhibit the foaming process. The beaten whites get blended into the batter at the very end, just to lighten it. Use a silicone spatula and take gently swipes through the batter only until the whites are incorporated. The goal is to keep as much air as possible in the whites, as this lifts the bread and keeps it from becoming too dense.

I love lemon, almond and blueberry together so I added in a touch of almond extract and almonds on top. If you don’t do nuts, just skip them. The bread will work fine without them/the almond extract.

Though it may be tempting, try not to check on the bread too many times before the cooking time gets into the range. If you start checking it early you can end up collapsing the bread in the center if it is still liquid inside. Also you’ll let the hot air out of the oven, which will make it take longer and the rise won’t be as good. This would happen because the structure isn’t set inside. So my suggestion is to set the timer for 55 minutes and then check it. If a toothpick comes out with batter on it, keep baking for another five minutes. Then check again.

QUESTIONS:

Does baking science ever stump you?

What will you be making with freshly picked blueberries?