gluten-free lemon poppyseed bread

In the past few days, I’ve made three batches of lemon poppyseed bread. Each of them was quite different from each other. Each of them was delicious.

For one batch, I replaced the butter or oil I would have used with an equal weight of applesauce. I know this is a popular solution for people who want to cut down on their fat intake. The bread was studded with poppyseeds, with a crackling top, and a slightly dense crumb. It seemed like a bread, instead of a cake. At first, I thought it was a bit too dry. However, when Danny used it the next day to make lemon poppyseed french toast? I changed my mind about that bread. We’re making it again.

The same day I made another bread, with olive oil and applesauce in place of the liquid I might have added. I’ve been thinking about that — where do you use fruit purees if you are making banana bread or pumpkin bread? Does it take the place of the oil? The liquid? The eggs? This bread was moist and fell apart on the teeth, in the most delightful way. I like my quick breads cakey, more moist than dry, soft to the touch. Danny took one bite and said, “Please tell me you are making this one again. You’re done.”

Not yet, honey.

This morning, I put the applesauce in the refrigerator. We’re not trying to cut down on fat. I wasn’t trying to make an applesauce bread. I wanted a moist, cakey quick bread, with the scent of lemon zest, flecks of poppyseed, and a brown, crackly top.

Voila. Third time is the charm.

I love baking by ratio and weight.

When you know how different baked goods work — how much fat to flour to liquid to eggs — you start to create your own recipes. Last month, when we launched the Ratio Rally, we focused together on pancakes. I exulted in the chance to bake collaboratively, to talk with people who care deeply about combining flours into something indescribably good. People created amazing pancakes.

This month, we decided to switch to quickbreads. You know — banana bread, pumpkin bread, dried sour cherry bread with a hazelnut streusel. There are no end of possibilities. Moist and light as a cake without as many expectations, quick breads can be breakfast or dessert. They’re pretty damned versatile.

And they’re far less intimidating to make when you switch to baking by ratio.

All you need to know is this: 2 parts flour/2 parts liquid/1 part eggs/1 part fat.

See how easy that is? Double it to create a bread that fills a 9 x 5 loaf pan. If you think in grams, like I do now with baking, that’s 227 grams of flours, 227 grams of liquid of any kind, 113 grams egg (that’s 2 of them), and 113 grams of fats. To make it easy, I rounded up for this recipe. 230 flours, 230 grams liquid, 115 grams eggs, 115 grams fat.

That’s the backbone of any great quick bread recipe.

Once again, what’s so wonderful about baking by ratio is that you have total freedom to play.

The flours? Use any combination of gluten-free flours you like, can eat, and have in the house.

The liquid? Buttermilk. Apple cider. Coconut milk. Cream. Yogurt mixed with a little water.

Eggs? Those are pretty simple. However, if you can’t eat them, you could mix flaxseed meal with boiling-hot water to end up with a slurry and use 115 grams of that.

Fat? Butter. Grapeseed oil. Olive oil. Coconut oil. Any fat you like.

Once you start thinking this way, you start creating recipes, not following them.

Oh, and by the way? Gluten-free quick breads are the same as gluten ones. No difference in ratio. No added ingredients necessary. You certainly don’t need the gums here.

So, I cannot wait to see the multitudes of quick breads and muffins recipes my fellow baking colleagues have created.

(Oh, did I go past that too fast? Quick bread recipes convert directly to muffin recipes.)

If you’d like to see the entire list of posts of people participating in the gluten-free ratio rally this month, head over to Silvana Nardone’s blog, Silvana’s Kitchen. She’s our host this month.

And if, after reading through all those posts, you don’t want to move into the kitchen and start cooking up a quick bread right away?

Oh dear. I think you might want to talk to someone about that.

For more Gluten Free Ratio Rally quick bread and muffin recipes check out these participants of the rally and (if you are on Twitter) follow the thread #gfreerally:

Mrs. R of Honey from Flinty Rocks made Lemon Lavender Muffins with Lavender Sugar
Alisha of GF Mostly Vegetarian made a Sweet Potato Breakfast Loaf
Amanda of Gluten Free Maui made Classic Banana, Oat, and Pecan Quick Bread
Amie of The Healthy Apple made Gluten-Free Agave Apricot Quick Bread
Britt of GF In The City made Date & Walnut Bread
Brooke of Bell Wookie made Double Chocolate Cherry Muffins
Caleigh of Gluten Free[k] made Cardamom Banana Bread
Caneel of Mama Me Gluten Free made Peach Poppyseed Bread
Caroline of The G Spot Revolution made Orange Spice Bread with a Vanilla Glaze
Claire of Gluten Freedom made Piña Colada Muffins with Coconut-Rum Glaze and Toasted Coconut
Danna of Sweet Dees Gluten Free made Blood Orange Cardamom Muffins
Elana of Elana’s Pantry made Almond Flour Muffins
Erin of Mysteries Internal made Strawberry Yogurt Muffins
Erin of The Sensitive Epicure made Chocolate Chip & Walnut Muffins with Streusel
Flo of Makanaibio made gluten-free muffins
Gretchen of Kumquat made a Gingerbread Fig Loaf
Irvin of Eat the Love made Meyer Lemon Muffins with Slow-Roasted Balsamic Red Wine Strawberry Jam
Jenn of Jenn Cuisine made Chestnut and Chocolate Quickbread
Karen of Cooking Gluten Free made muffins
Kate of Kate Alice Cookbook made Raspberry Banana Crumble-Top Muffins
Kate of Gluten Free Gobsmacked made Mocha and Chocolate Chip Muffins
Lauren of Celiac Teen made a Cocoa Quickbread
Lisa of Gluten Free Canteen made Almond Cherry Berry Banana Muffins, Gluten Free
Lisa of With Style and Grace made a Rosemary Lemon Quick Bread
Marla of Family Fresh Cooking made Sweet Strawberry Snack Cakes
Mary Frances of the Gluten Free Cooking School made Cranberry Orange Bread with Cream Cheese Icing
Meaghan of The Wicked Good Vegan made Vegan Gluten-Free Apricot-Orange Bread
Melanie of Mindful Food made Almond Joy Muffins
Nannette of Nannette Raw made Chai Muffins
Robyn of Chocswirl made Brown Butter Apple Spice Muffins with Pecan Nut Streusel
Silvana of Silvana’s Kitchen made Chocolate-Coated Marshmallow-Topped Vanilla Cupcakes
Tara of A Baking Life made Caramelized Banana Bread with Pecan Streusel
Wendy of La Phemme Phoodie made Cheesy Apple Butter Bread with Garlic Powder
Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen made Banana Bread

LEMON POPPYSEED QUICK BREAD

There are a few things about this quick bread that we particularly love.

It uses our whole-grain mix — in this case we used teff, sorghum, buckwheat, brown rice, sweet rice, and arrowroot — which gives it the healthy benefits of whole grains without the toughness that whole wheat can lend to baked goods.

We tried sucanat for this recipe and loved it. Sucanat is essentially pure cane juice, dried. Sucanat is not bleached or processed at all, which means it keeps its nutrients and molasses taste. It’s grainier than bleached white sugar, but that adds to the texture of this quick bread. (And if you want to use white sugar, go ahead. Substitute it by weight, not by the cup.)

Both of these ingredients mean that the quick bread is darker brown than the traditional lemon poppyseed bread. We don’t care. Appearances mean little. This poppyseed bread is tremendous.

Also, because we used grapeseed oil for the fat and coconut milk for the liquid, this bread is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. (Added later: silly me. Eggs are not vegan. I was thinking of an earlier bread where I used flaxseed as an egg replacer. It works well.) That might not make it sound good. It’s truly the best quick bread we’ve ever eaten.

230 grams whole grain gluten-free flour mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
230 grams (about 1 cup) sucanat
zest of 1 lemon
115 grams grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon orange flower water (optional)
¼ cup poppyseeds
230 grams (about ½ cup) coconut milk

Preparing to bake. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan.

Combining the dry ingredients. Whisk together the whole grain flour, the baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.

Beating the sugar and eggs. Put the eggs and sucanat into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat together the eggs and sucanat until they are light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add the lemon zest.

Adding the oil. Slowly, with the stand mixer running, drizzle in the grapeseed oil. Pour a bit, then wait while the mixer continues to run. Continue pouring in this slow fashion until all the oil is added, which should take about 1 minute. This allows the oil to be fully incorporated into the egg mixture without taking out the air you beat into it before. Add the vanilla extract, orange flower water, and poppyseeds.

Finishing the batter. With the mixer running on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mix, then ½ of the coconut milk. Repeat this until all the ingredients are in the stand mixer bowl and no flour is visible. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as well. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Baking the lemon-poppyseed bread. Slide the pan into the oven. Bake the bread until the top is golden brown and it springs back when you touch it, about 1 hour. Remove the loaf pan from the oven and let it cool on the counter for about 30 minutes. At that point, you can flip the bread out of the pan. Finish cooling it.

Eat. Enjoy.

Makes 1 9-inch loaf.

[print_link]

85 comments on “gluten-free lemon poppyseed bread”

  1. Michelle

    Great insight.
    It makes me feel so confident when I can walk into my kitchen and break out a scale, mixing bowls, while heating the oven and be able to know the ratio for the ingredients in my favorite bread. It is so simple when broken down into simple ratios then repeated enough times, it will be as simple as a scale, mixing bowls and wooden spoons.

  2. Amy

    Maybe I read it wrong but the ratio you talked about had 115 g fats and the recipe called for 140gm grapeseed oil. Am I missing something?

  4. Winnie

    I love the sound of this bread Shauna! Third time was a charm with my banana bread, too. Thank you so much for all your posts about baking by weights/ratios– it’s been really transformational for me in my gf baking :) Had fun with the ratio rally and will look forward to continuing to participate in coming months!

  5. Joyce

    I am loving what you are doing with recipes lately. I’ve been using applesauce as a full/partial replacement for fat for years. But I’ll never give up coconut oil which gives a texture like nothing else.

    I am gluten free, but following Dr. Gott’s No Flour No Sugar diet, adapting it to my way of eating. No, I don’t use flours, not even gluten free flours, substituting combinations of flax meal, chia, unflavored whey protein powder,coarse almond meal, psyllium etc. It’s just the way I eat now, and I am slowly losing weight on this plan and loving it.

    One thing is certain. After several years of gluten free eating I learned it is hogwash that gluten free eating will keep you thin. Hogwash. I kept packing on the pounds and it wouldn’t stop until I went on Dr. Gott’s plan. For me it’s a lifestyle and the way I’ll be eating forever.

    We all have to find our own way. One thing for sure for all of us coming to this blog — gluten is poison.

    Keep up the good work. What wonderful recipes.

  6. Patricia

    so…maybe i just missed it, but where’s the lemon in this lemon poppyseed bread? …looks divine regardless, but i’m such a recipe follower (and hoping that trying more recipes like this will help teach me how to be more free) that i wouldn’t even know how and when to add the lemon without being told! thanks

  8. Caneel

    Oh this looks amazing. I love, love lemon poppy seed bread — but I’ve never tried it with so many whole grains. I must try this!

  9. flo makanai

    I love that GFRatio Rally, and your quick bread looks just fantastic.
    (even though it’s not vegan because it contains eggs, and the lemon is missing in the recipe, or is it me? ;) )

  10. Lisa

    I like that it is dairy free — been wanting to make more of that. My mom used to make poppy seed everything — This reminds me of that, only better. I like the combinations of flavors.

  13. Kerri Williams

    Can’t wait to try this, Shauna — looks amazing. While my mom has celiac, I don’t (or at least have not taken the time to get a diagnosis) and am not symptomatic, except that I just feel better (sinuses and GI tract in particular) the less wheat I eat. Both my significant other and I are having a ball exploring gluten-free eating.
    One thing I’ve done when cooking with applesauce (for whatever purpose) is to let it drain through a colander overnight (you can either keep the drained-off liquid for another use or not). Obviously, makes the sauce thicker and works better as a fat-substitute-or-adjunct in some recipes.
    Per Patricia’s question above — I’m guessing the orange flower water gives the citric flavor? Any reason not to use lemon zest and/or fresh-squeezed juice?
    Thanks so much for your fab site.

  14. Lisa {With Style and Grace}

    I grew up eating lemon poppyseed muffins and ever since going gluten-free, I have yet to have them. I’m definitely going to give this recipe a try! Thank you again, Shauna for welcoming me into the (gf ratio rally) group, this has been such a positive experience for me and has opened some big doors. Look forward to next months baking adventures!

    1. Jillian

      I think that’s a revision — I read it over multiple times this morning and couldn’t spot any lemon in the ingredients or instructions.

      1. shauna

        It is a revision! I finished putting up the post about midnight and somehow my eyes just didn’t see the lack of lemon zest. DOH!

  16. Angie Halten

    I must admit your recipes sure stretch me in a good way in trying ingredients that I don’t normally use, like grapeseed oil and orange flower water. Your recipes have such a fresh spin on cooking that it motivates me to get into the kitchen and enjoy cooking! Thanks. Angie.

  17. Kate

    Eggs aren’t quite vegan, though I love them. I am currently out of eggs at home though, so do you think an egg replacer would work here?

    1. shauna

      Thanks for pointing that out. Wow, this recipe was just possessed. (Or life was so darn busy this week that I wrote it up near midnight.) I’ve added a little note to the recipe.

      1. Kate

        no problem! my best friend is vegan, so I am always on the lookout for great recipes for us to share. and no worries about the so-called “possession” (that would be life with a toddler haha) — kudos to you for staying up and posting! I was already in bed

  19. Tori

    Baking by weight and by ratio has been helpful. Last year I saw a recipe go viral for “Compost Cookies” after the pastry chef at Momofuko Milk Bar appeared on TV sharing her recipe. But it wasn’t the real recipe and she left out some vital ingredients preferring to keep it somewhat proprietary. Yesterday, armed with my kitchen scale, the recipe she shared, and the ingredient list that is shared on the Momofuko website (ingredients are listed in order by weight). I made awesome cookies and figured out her ratio.

    1. shauna

      Ooh, I think you have given me a new project! Did you make them gluten-free or with gluten? Care to share?

  21. Mary

    Shauna, this looks delicioius. I’m starting a Shauna’s Recipes file on my computer! Really, I’m ordering your book. I am wondering though, did you have your proportions approach when you wrote it? I think it’s perfect. The chemist in me tells me it makes perfect sense.

    I’ve been reading your blog from the beginning these last few evenings, since I am actually not collapsed on the bed in pain — just three days into my gluten-free diet again. I’m loving it! You are such an inspiration. I posted about my gluten-denial phase on my blog today. :)

    Thank you for this blog. It’s a labor of love! :)

    ~Mary

  22. Britt

    Haha, my husband always think it’s “done” too. It’s nice positive reinforcement, at least. :) I’ll bet the lemon and coconut milk are fabulous together. And the sucanat? Wonderful choice. Beautiful job turning a classic into something special!

  23. Jenn

    A beautiful bread Shauna, this looks just perfect. I love that the ratio is the same as conventional, it makes it so easy! One definitely doesn’t need the gums at all — I added guar gum in mine out of habit (how did I get into a habit of adding gums to all my flour mixes? gah), but I need to remember to only use them when necessary — next time, I’ll remember to leave them out of my quickbread :)

  24. Damselfly

    I love quick breads and so I had to make this one TODAY despite the fact that I had no lemon and no poppy seeds in the house. Instead of poppy seeds I used an equal amount of flax and I put in about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to replace the lemon flavor. This bread turned out YUMMY!

    1. DamselflyDiary

      Okay, I have made this bread three times now — twice with almond flavoring and today the lemon variation. Each time I have had to tinker with it. Here are my findings.

      1. 140 grams of oil is way to oily for my taste. I reduced it today to 100 grams and found the bread was still moist but not as oily. Next time I might try 110 grams and see how that goes.

      2. I am now assuming that Shauna’s 230 grams of coconut milk is referring to the canned kind. I used So Delicious coconut milk (from the dairy case) and 230 grams of that is a CUP — way too watery. I recommend not weighing your coconut milk and use 1/2 cup of whatever kind you are using — 1/2 cup of So Delicious worked perfectly for me.

      3. The lemon variation isn’t lemony enough for me, and I added the lemon juice as well as the rind. Granted my lemons were a little small, but if you want bold lemon flavor make sure you use more lemon zest and juice. Or, do what I am going to do, glaze the loaf with a lemon juice and powdered sugar glaze.

      4. I don’t normally have poppy seeds in my house, but I do have chia seeds. These substituted perfectly.

      5. As with most gluten free baked goods, this bread doesn’t hold together perfectly. Make sure the loaf is totally cooled before handling. You may even want to pop it in the refrigerator first to firm it up. Next time I may try adding an additional egg to see if that holds it together better.

      6. I used the Ahern multipurpose flour blend (not whole grain version) and it makes a really nice, delicate bread that looks like pound cake.

      7. This recipe is yummy and you must try it. My favorite however is the almond version I mentioned in my earlier post. I love that rich almond flavor and it is way easier than zesting a lemon.

  25. Maria

    Hi Shauna!
    Thank you for all the love you spread through this blog!!! and BIG thanks because of you I was able to find out my husband has gluten allergy and put to an end his torment, literally!
    I have a question, How about the sweeteners in the ratio? the recipe shows you add it in the same proportion as you do with the flours. Is it always like this?
    Just wondering, I am not to much into experimentation so I might need the extra hint :-p
    Besos from Sammamish — just across your Island!!!

  26. Maggie

    This is fantastic — the post and the bread! I’ve been wanting to make a poppyseed lemon loaf for ages, and now I can just make up my own! You rock. It’s come to the point where I have to take notes while reading your posts. SUCH GREAT INFO! Thank you.

  27. marla

    Shauna, I am so happy to be a part of this event. I love poking around and seeing all the goodies everyone has come up with. Unique personalities & fabulous flavor combos. Interesting how you tried this a few ways and found the variations in crumb, texture etc. Lovely bread. xo

  28. Ki

    Love, love, LOVE!!!! the Ratio Rally.

    I was looking through the various submissions and there seems to be a wide variation in the kind and amount of leavener and sugar used. Can you lay out some general guidelines for how to use baking powder vs. baking soda, and maybe general guidelines for sugar?

    I’m totally ready to play with this, but I’m lacking confidence on those two points.

  29. Claire

    Shauna, this looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it out for myself! I love lemon poppyseed bread, although the thought of using it for french toast never occurred to me before. But I think I will have to try that out for myself, too :) Thanks so much for conceptualizing and organizing this. It’s been so much fun to be a part of so far!
    Claire

  30. Laura

    I’m so excited about this recipe!! Is there somewhere I can find the quantities of flours in the flour mix or is it just however you want to combine them? Thanks!

  31. Jasmine

    Ok, so after reading your post I decided to, for the first time, attempt my VERY OWN RECIPE.….*trumpet sounds*

    I decided to make Banana Oat Mini Loafs. Not the most imaginative thing granted, but I thought I’d start small. Long story short, they turned out very well for the first time! Working with weight makes everything possible, and tweaking is so much easier when you have a controlled environment. I agree with the above questions of how sugar and the baking powder and soda work in with the ratios (I’m sure mine needed more of the powder and soda considering they didn’t rise very well and they kinda fall apart, but the flavour is there). Also, I used mashed banana instead of any liquid, and it worked perfectly.

    Thanks for giving us the tools to create our own messes!

  32. The Healthy Apple

    This looks incredible, Shauna. Lemon Poppyseed reminds me of when I was a young girl and I just love this recipe…looks delicious and I’m going to try to whip this up on Sunday…I bet this is great with a smear of apple butter on top.
    So happy to be a part of this Rally with you.
    xo

  33. Joey

    Hi Shauna,

    I just finished your book (GFG). I am looking at some intolerances and have been off gluten and soy for about 6 weeks. With the reading of your book it has been a blissful time. Thank you! I promise I am not a stalker or any thing, but where is the Chef cooking now? It seems the restaurant in Madison Park was sold? Can we partake in his creations anywhere else?

    Thank you!!

  34. Danna

    This looks amazing. I think the dark color lends itself to a stately-looking bread. You know? The kind that you can put in front of your kids and you know you’re a good mom. Feeding them right. Thank you Shauna, for being the steward of this “freedom” rally. Free of all those measuring cups and miscalculation. I’m proud to be part of it.

  36. Robyn

    Your posts are always so informative, I’ve learned so much from you and cant wait to learn more! Beautiful bread, love the dark colour.

  37. Jill

    This is TASTY!!! I baked it an extra 10 min (at 5500′ altitude)…while it was technically done, could have used a couple more minutes than that, perhaps. Served it un-iced with lemon curd spooned on top.

    I used 40 g: teff, brown rice, millet, and sorghum; 30 g: tapioca and arrowroot. Olive oil for the fat. Everything else as the recipe stated. I do wish it had a little less fine of a crumb (and it was rather fragile), and less oily. Perhaps the oil plus the fat in the coconut milk was a bit too much fat?

    1. kathy

      I am loving these great gluten free recipes. My readers would love to have access to them. Please feel free to join the conversation on my blog and share some yummy quick bread recipes. I recently wrote an article regarding what grains to use if one needs to go gluten free and your recipes would be a great part of this conversation. Thanks.

  38. Tara

    Lemon poppyseed quick bread is one of the first things I can remember baking, after my celiac diagnosis and college graduation. It was dry, as I recall. Lemon curd helped. Anyway, thanks for the reminder of my early gf baking days!

    And I will forever be indebted to you and Danny for clueing me in to the fact that quick breads can be used for FRENCH TOAST. Pure genius. I’m doing that soon.

  39. Caroline @ The G-Spot

    Shauna, I am so happy you decided to make lemon poppyseed bread. This was one of my favorite breads before going gluten-free and I almost forgot how wonderful it is before reading your post! I can’t wait to make this.

    On another note, I am so pleased to be a part of this challenge with you and all of the other rally members. It has been such a pleasure and I look forward to what’s to come! :)

  40. Shaune

    Sorry, I accidentally posted my comment before finishing. So, once again:
    I have the same question as Amy. In your discussion of the ratios, you say 2 parts flour to one part fat: 230g of flour, 115g of fat. But in the actual recipe you say 230g flour, 140g of fat. Could you clarify? I’m doubly confused because in your earlier recipe for Gluten-Free Whole Grain Muffins, which I have made probably 5 times with different add-ins, and which I think work perfectly, you use a ratio of 3.5 parts flour to 1 part fat (350g flour, 100g oil). That’s a BIG difference.

  41. Shuku

    I tried this tonight. It was so, so, absolutely amazing I couldn’t believe it. Best of all, with the ratio, I’ve been considering making a –savoury– quick bread too, bacon and cheese — and now I can bake it with confidence knowing it WILL work. Thank you so much for sharing this Shauna, it is so liberating!

  43. Joey

    OMG! Yumm. My daughter and I just made this for her preschool class. They are studying seeds. What a yummy treat to include!

  44. kario

    Love this! I must have used a smallish lemon, because I wanted more lemon flavor and I used 1/4 cup of grapeseed oil because the 115g would have been a huge volume (unless I was measuring wrong). I baked it for about 50 minutes and it is just delicious! Thank you.

  45. Andrea

    I made this yesterday with egg substitute (daughter has an allergy) and honey (son has a sugar intolerance) added a couple spoonfuls more flour to make up for the extra liquid, also squeezed my lemon into the batter instead of the vanilla, worked perfectly and is delicious!

  47. Aryn

    How do you know the proper ratio for sugar? I notice that most of these ratio recipes have different quantities of sugar. Is there a standard?

    1. shauna

      There really isn’t a proper ratio. Everyone has a different sense of sweetness, as does each kind of baked good. So you work with what feels right to you.

  48. Brooke@FoodWoolf

    I’m finally starting to get over my fear of baking, which is making me read posts like this one and think–hey, I really could do this thing! Thank you for showing me the simplicity of ratios and letting me know I can be creative in the kitchen with something as scary as, *gasp*, flour!
    Thank you for setting me free!

  49. Mimi

    So I made the lemon poppy seed loaf today..was dying to try it ever since I saw the post.

    I made the recipe pretty much as is ( I used a sorghum blend for the flour) and I replaced the sucarmat with cane sugar ( as that’s what I had on hand) and regular milk instead of coconut.

    I did everything by weight but at the end.…my loaf looks nice and fluffy for about 1/4 inch at the top, then there is a section with all the poppy seeds, then at the bottom is a dense, more oily part..

    How did this happen to me? What do I do to fix it???
    I love the idea of working by weight but so far no luck ) :

    1. shauna

      Oh goodness, I’ve never seen that one! Did you mix the batter thoroughly? Did you do the milk by weight? Or by cup? Tell me if there is anything you did differently than the recipe besides these and we’ll decipher it.

      1. Johanna

        Hopping in here, having just made my *10th* batch of lemon rosemary quick bread (and please forgive if I step on toes, but I so don’t want her to be discouraged!): the first one I made was very dense at the bottom and didn’t quite cook in the middle. I don’t think I mixed the “wet” enough. After that batch I made sure to spend a good long time mixing my wet ingredients as well as thoroughly mixing in the flours. (making the pre-celiac me shudder at the thought of using a stand mixer on my quick bread!) Last batch involved more corn flour, replacing some of the fat with additional yogurt (also used as liquid), using a flax egg to replace one of the regular eggs, and it’s the best yet. Thank you SO much, Shauna, for giving me the courage to bake.

  50. Mimi

    It was quite the interesting looking loaf when I was done with it.

    I mixed it pretty well — it didn’t appear that anything was separating when I put it into the pan.

    I did the milk by weight since I wasnt’ using the same type as you were.

    I will admit that when I put it into the oven, I thought that the batter seemed pretty thin — thin like pancake batter but I have found with everything gluten free that you can’t judge until after you make it once because maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be!

    No xanthan gum etc as your recipe calls for none — I do usually use it and wonder if the issue is more due to the substitutions and the lack of that…maybe after the substitutions there was just nothing holding it all together in the heat

    1. shauna

      Part of this experience for me has been to learn how to trust my instincts in baking. We don’t use gums at all in our baking anymore. As long as you have the right ratio of flours to fats to liquids to eggs, you don’t really need them. You could add some flaxseed meal if you wanted. I’m still not quite sure what happened for you!

      1. Amanda

        I had a similar problem. When I put the batter in the pan, it looked like soup. Way too watery. Then it baked but was in layers with the oily part on top.
        I thought that part of the problem was that I used just water for the liquid because I didn´t have any milk in the house. (Too lazy or busy to make a batch of almond milk)
        It has really puzzled me because I have used the ratio a million times (only a slight exaggeration) for breads and muffins and have always had beautiful results.
        It has only made me stubbornly decide to keep trying though and figure out what the heck happened.

        1. shauna

          Oh Amanda, I’m sorry to say that the water was the problem. Any milk you use has protein and fat. Without both of those, the ratio is off.

  52. Louise

    Shauna,
    My loaf turned out much like Mimi’s. It was delicious, but very moist and dense at the bottom of the loaf. I did not have the coconut milk, so substituted 2% milk by weight (about a cup). The resulting batter was more like cake batter than a quick bread batter. I used an electronic scale and set the measurement to grams, put my measuring cup on the scale, zeroed out that weight and added the liquid to get to the 230 grams. Does density of the liquid make a difference? I love your posts and have been inspired to continue experimenting with GF flours.

  53. Mimi

    So I had success this weekend when I made it.
    This time I trusted more what I thought and what had worked for me in the past. I ended up partially editing the weight / ratio because it didn’t seem to work for me

    I used more flour (more like 300 g) and less milk (1% for me) more equivalent to 3/4 cup.
    I also did not beat the sugar and eggs together. I beat the eggs together, then added other liquid ingredients, then added the dry — more like a muffin.
    It worked out much better — poppyseeds were evenly distributed and so was the texture — although I still did get a little extra sugar at the top (perfect place for it though I think, I would do it on purpose next time if I knew how!)

    Would love to get a little more lemon flavour in next time and will probably try with brown sugar for the extra flavour but it was a good loaf…about 50% of it was gone while it was still hot. Turned into an appetizer before dinner rather than an afternoon snack.

  54. Uriel

    Hi,

    I love reading food bloggers blog. I do love cooking but I guess cooking is not for me but I really try my best to learn. I picked your blog, because I also do conscious about my weight and really love the recipe from your archived looks delicious and it is good for the health…so expect me to be your regular viewer.

  57. Colette

    Wow! This lemon poppy seed bread is delicious! It’s very moist and has a perfect texture! I followed the recipe using grams and substituted in fine natural sea salt for the kosher and then cream for the coconut milk (loved your info on ratios). It turned out evenly mixed and evenly baked…it’s perfect! Thanks for this and all of your other recipes!

  58. Betsy

    Because of my husband’s dietary restrictions, I used agave instead of sucanat, so then I had to exchange the grape seed oil for coconut oil to make up for the extra liquid, I also added lemon extract because I love it and I did add a little extra gluten free flour — it’s in the oven now and I’m not sure how it will be but this I’m early in gluten free baking so I’m hopeful…

  59. Danielle

    I baked this today! yummy!! I added lemon juice to the batter as I like it a little more lemony and as well used coconut oil and coconut and spelt flour. Thanks for the recipe!

  60. i

    Hi, Shauna–
    Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. I’ve tried a couple of variations and like using the coconut milk for the liquid. I’ve found that the milk I use is much lighter than what is called for–for example, the label on the can says 90 grams per 1/2 cup though it seems you get more than twice the density in your coconut milk. I stayed true to the recipe and measured out 230 grams (about a cup), which made for a soup-y center but otherwise a great tasting quick bread. Would you mind sharing the brand of coconut milk you use(d)? Thanks much, i

    1. DamselflyDiary

      I have found you are better off using 1/2 cup of coconut milk rather than weighing it. Coconut milk has too much variation in its density — canned light, canned regular, dairy case drinkable, etc. I have made this recipe three times using 1/2 cup of So Delicious coconut milk from the dairy case and it turned out great. Hope that helps.

  61. sasha

    so I think I love you haha.. after a while checking your site I’ve decide to start eating everything gluten free… and I can eat everything I want but I know its healthier and everything looks sooooo goood.. but I still don’t quite have picked the formula.. 2 parts of flour includes the rest of the solids? like the cane sugar and the baking soda?

    could you explain the formula in cups?? if is not too much to ask.. pretty pls!! other thing, Is it ok to switch to any kind of flour? because I live in Venezuela and we can only find almond flour (homemade) rice flour (not sweet rice or brown), oat flour and coconout flour.

    You got my heart after the explanation of the Xantham gum cuz I knew I wouldn’t fine that here :S… most of the things I have to find a way to make them at home like the cornstarch, buttermilk, etc.

    so, waiting for your answers and loving you hahaha I’ll thank you in advance.

  62. Maria

    If I need to reduce sugar (let say, in half), does this change the ratio or solids, or fats, or liquids? or, does it not matter?
    Thank you for a great site.

  63. Jo

    I made this recipe this morning as muffins. I made a few substitutions, based on what was in my pantry: sorghum flour for the the mixed flour, coconut palm sugar for the sucanat, and buttermilk for the coconut milk. The only addition I made was 1/8 tsp. of powdered Stevia, since the coconut palm sugar is not very sweet. Yes, I thought it was too much oil, but it incorporated just fine. Yes, I thought it was too thin, more like cake batter. But I baked these for 15 mintues and they turned out fine. I might try adding some baking soda to it next time, which would give the buttermilk a little boost for extra lift. I also sprinkled those large deocorator sugar crystals on top, just like we find at the bakery. Turned out great and my 9-year-old son said he would definitely make these again.

Related Posts

  1. celebrating with lemon-poppyseed cake

  2. banana oatmeal raisin bread

  3. gluten-free bread