Well, it’s officially the last day of February vacation. Of course, I had to bake something to mark the occasion, especially since I rarely bake in non-vacation mode!
I’ve been experimenting more and more with baking using whole grains. This easy and delicious quick bread is made with a mixture of spelt flour and white whole wheat flour.
I sometimes have a tendency to be skeptical about using whole grains in sweet, baked goods, but not for this! It’s so moist, fluffy, and full of flavor- white flour is definitely not missed here!
Spelt is a whole grain that is used for flour as an alternative to wheat. It is lighter and less, well, “whole wheaty” than wheat, which makes it great for baking, pancakes, cookies, etc.
White whole wheat flour is still whole wheat (even though it seems contradictory to call it white). White wheat is simply a different color than traditional “red” wheat, and has a milder texture and flavor, which also makes it a great substitute for all-purpose flour when you don’t want a harsh taste.
I could go on and on about whole grains. I love this stuff. I’m such a nerd for whole foods.
But I won’t do that to you. Yet.
This bread is really easy to make. I use a trick to make fewer dishes.
Usually, baking requires two bowls: one for wet ingredients, one for dry. I only use one bowl by mixing all my wet ingredients first, adding all the dry ingredients except the flour, and adding the flour last. This ensures that the dry ingredients are evenly distributed before thickening it too much with flour.
I used sour cream for this- you can use plain yogurt as a substitute, if you want!
This was delicious fresh out of the oven with some butter. And so filling! Whole grains certainly leave you more satisfied than refined grains. Having this for toast for breakfast this week will definitely make going back to work way better!
Whole grain lemon poppy seed bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup spelt flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Juice and zest of two large lemons
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl.
- Add eggs and sugar; whisk together.
- Add lemon juice and zest, sour cream, and vanilla extract; whisk together.
- Add nutmeg, salt, poppy seeds, baking powder, and baking soda; whisk together to combine well.
- Add flours; stir to combine.
- Transfer mixture to a buttered loaf pan.
- Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow to cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before cutting into 10 slices and eating.
Notes
- Plain yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Kamal
You had me at “Lemon Poppy Seed” and “Bread”!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks Kamal! I haven’t made this recipe in forever and this is a good reminder to make it again!
Kim @ Hungry Healthy Girl
Pinning! This looks delish. Can’t wait to give it a try…. I haven’t had lemon poppy seed in forever!
Elizabeth
Thanks for pinning! :-) Hope you like it- let me know how it comes out!