This super quick and easy blueberry bread is moist, fluffy, whips up in no time, and is bursting with fresh or frozen blueberries- perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!
Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and prepare a regular loaf pan (9x5 inches) by either lining it with parchment paper or lightly greasing it and sprinkling a small amount of flour in the pan.
If you're using fresh blueberries, first rinse them and pat them completely dry.
Toss the berries in the 1/2 tablespoon of flour. This should help keep the berries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.Not everyone seems to have luck with the flour tip. An alternative would be to add 1/3 of the batter to the tin. Then fold the berries into the remaining batter and pour that in.
In a large mixing bowl, sift in all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) and stir/whisk.
In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (milk, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest).
Carefully pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Make sure not to over-mix it. Then fold the blueberries into the batter. Be gentle so none are crushed.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and tap it gently on the counter to level the top.
Transfer the loaf pan to the oven and bake for between 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean (a few crumbs are fine, but no wet batter).
Transfer the blueberry bread to a wire cooling rack and leave it to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing it from the loaf pan to continue to cool completely.To make a lemon glaze, combine 1 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp milk with enough powdered sugar (about a cup) to make a glaze consistency. Refer to the recipe card for other toppings.
Notes
Measure the flour correctly: Too much will make a dry, dense bake. Use a fork to fluff up the flour in the bag, then spoon it into the measuring cup before leveling it off with the back of a knife.
Use room temperature ingredients: I.e., milk, eggs, & (if using) fresh blueberries.
Don't over-mix the batter: Just enough to incorporate all the ingredients. A few tiny lumps are fine. Over-mixing can overwork the gluten and lead to tough, dense bakes.
For blueberry muffins: Divide the batter in a muffin tin (filled 2/3 way) and reduce the baking time to around 18-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You could also make several mini loaves (baking for 30-40 minutes).
To reduce the oil: You may be able to substitute a small amount with some unsweetened applesauce or yogurt.
Tweak the sweetness: Feel free to slightly increase or decrease the amount of sugar.
Swap the berries: This recipe also works with raspberries, blackberries, or cherries.
Alternative Toppings
Sugar crust: Sprinkle coarse sugar (like demerara or turbinado) over the batter before baking.
Streusel topping: Make a crumble crust with cold butter, flour, and sugar.
Lemon syrup: Combine 3-4 Tbsp lemon juice + 3-4 Tbsp (40-50 g) caster sugar and heat in a saucepan over low until syrupy. Pour over the warm loaf, then leave to cool.
Extra Mix-Ins (2-3 Tbsp of any):
Chopped nuts, like pistachios, almonds, walnuts, or pecans,