Sourdough Discard Lemon Loaf
This recipe deconstructs the physics of sourdough lemon loaf preparation to bridge the gap between a light cake and a dense pound cake, yielding a guaranteed perfect result every time through a specific combination of melted butter, sour cream, and a two-stage baking process.
Equipment
- 9 by 5 baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Large Bowl
- Small bowl
- Whisk/Spatula
- wire rack
Ingredients
Loaf Ingredients
- 227 grams unsalted butter melted
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest about 2 large lemons
- 200 grams granulated sugar about 1 cup
- 3 large eggs about 150 grams
- 20 grams freshly squeezed lemon juice about 2 Tablespoons
- 113 grams sourdough discard 100% hydration (about 1/2 cup)
- 185 grams all purpose flour about 1 1/4 cups
- 4 grams baking powder about 1 teaspoon
- 2 grams salt about 1/4 teaspoon
- 120 grams sour cream about 1/2 cup
Lemon Glaze Ingredients
- 110 grams powdered sugar about 1 cup
- 10 grams freshly squeezed lemon juice use a little extra to thin the glaze as desired
- 2 grams vanilla extract about 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
Baking Steps
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9 by 5 baking pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides to act as a handle.
- To a large bowl, add the melted butter, lemon zest, granulated sugar, and eggs. Whisk together until thoroughly combined until the mixture becomes slightly paler. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and sourdough discard. Whisk again until completely combined and no streaks of discard remain.
- To a small bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fluff together with a fork to ensure the leavening agent is evenly distributed.
- Add the flour mixture to the lemon mixture and stir together. Add the sour cream and stir until completely combined. Be precise here: After combining the dry and wet ingredients, only stir the sour cream until just combined. Pour the mixture in the parchment-lined baking pan.
- Bake the loaf at 350ºF for 15 minutes (This sets the perimeter and activates the baking powder quickly).
- Then reduce the temperature to 325ºF for about 50 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the lemon loaf; the sweet spot is when it comes out with a few moist crumbs attached—do not wait for a completely clean toothpick.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and continuing to cool on a wire rack. Let cool before topping with lemon glaze.
Lemon Glaze Application
- Whisk together fresh lemon juice, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Add some lemon zest if desired.
- Drizzle on top of the mostly-cooled loaf. To get the perfect drizzle, wait until the loaf is just barely warm to the touch.
Notes
For the sourdough lemon blueberry variation, use 1 cup of blueberries and lightly dust them with 1 tablespoon of the measured flour before adding them to the wet mixture to prevent sinking. If freezing, do so without the glaze, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, for up to two months. The density of the crumb improves after a few hours of resting as moisture redistributes.
Nutrition
Calories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 16g
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