Lemon-Thyme Tea Bread is a lemon quick bread with a subtle hint of thyme. The glaze adds a burst of lemon flavor. Serve this bread as a breakfast treat, a brunch offering, a dessert or a snack. Relax with a slice of this light and lemony bread and your favorite cup of hot tea or coffee.
A tea bread is also known as a quick bread. Quick breads are leavened with baking soda or baking powder instead of yeast. These breads are non-yeast breads and are usually baked in loaf pans but can be baked in muffin tins or mini-loaf pans.
Quick Breads have a thick batter that is good for adding nuts, fruit or chocolate. Although, they are good without any additions. Quick breads are sometimes topped with chopped nuts or seeds, such as sesame seeds. They can be topped with a flavorful glaze, too. Confectioners' sugar mixed with water or milk is a simple glaze used on quick breads. Substitute vanilla, lemon juice, orange juice or other liquid flavoring for some of, or all of, the water to add flavor to the sugary glaze.
Serve quick breads as they are or add butter, cream cheese, peanut butter or your favorite spread. They are quite versatile!
Quick breads freeze well. I wrap them in wax paper then foil before freezing. You can freeze the entire loaf, or slices of the quick bread. Don't forget to write the date on the bread before freezing. 🙂
Quick breads make good hostess gifts. Slices of a few different kinds of quick breads make a tasty alternative to cookie trays as well.
If you like a simple quick bread, check out Vanilla Quick Bread. This bread is moist with a simple vanilla flavor and no additions. It's a plain bread that goes well with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
I found this recipe on the Taste of Home site. It looked good, so I thought I would give it a try. It is a light, lemony bread.
I hope you enjoy the Lemon-Thyme Tea Bread!
Lemon-Thyme Tea Bread
Ingredients
Bread
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 jumbo eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Glaze
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice Add more or less lemon juice so that the glaze meets your desired thickness.
Instructions
Bread
- Place the milk and thyme in a microwave safe container then heat, uncovered, on high for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture begins to bubble.
- Cover and let stand until cooled to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Lightly spray a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined.
- Alternately, add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, beating well after each addition.
- Add the lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pan. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze
- Stir together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Add more lemon juice if you want a thinner glaze.
- Drizzle over the bread.