Lemon Sumac Buttermilk Quick Bread

by Lora Wiley-Lennartz

No matter how hard I try to use it up when I buy buttermilk for a recipe, I always have some leftover. The last carton was used for a double batch of cupcakes, then another cake, now this bread.

The whole reason I made this quick bread was another attempt to use up the rest of the buttermilk and I still have some leftover. It’s a magical bottomless quart.

Sumac is one of my favorite spices. I use it every chance I get, including in salad dressing or just sprinkled on salad.

The combination of lemon, sumac, which also has a slightly lemony flavor and this buttermilk quick bread was perfect. I doubled down and added lemon zest and sumac to the glaze. Flavorful and so easy, I will definitely be making this again.

I am linking this post up with the Twelve Loaves Challenge, a new monthly challenge created by four fabulous food bloggers out there: The other L-o-r-a of Cake Duchess, my macaron mentor Jamie from Life’s a Feast, Lisa from Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives and Barbara of Creative Culinary

This month’s challenge was to create a bread with summer fruit. You can find the rules here or click the badge above. There is still time to bake along. The deadline is August 31st. Link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of Lora, Lisa or Jamie’s blog. I can’t wait to see what these creative ladies come up with next month!

Lemon Sumac Buttermilk Quick Bread
(Slightly adapted from Basic Buttermilk Quick Bread from The Kitchen)

For the Quick Bread:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1+1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1+1/2 tablespoons ground sumac
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 3 tablespoons lemon zest

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Grease or spray a standard loaf pan.
  • Whisk together the dry ingredients.
  • In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients and add the lemon zest.
  • Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix together with a wooden spoon just until a sticky dough forms.
  • Transfer dough to the loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
  • Let cool completely before removing from pan and adding the glaze.
For the Lemon Sumac Glaze:
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 5 teaspoons lemon juice (I used freshly squeezed)
  • 2-3 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoons ground sumac

Directions:
  • Whisk lemon juice into powdered sugar.
  • Mix in zest and sumac.
  • Pour/drizzle over completely cooled quick bread.

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11 comments

Gingered Whisk August 27, 2012 - 12:57 pm

I love quick bread cakes, they are so delicious! I bet lemon and sumac would be awesome with the buttermilk!

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Linda V @ Bubble and Sweet August 20, 2012 - 10:41 am

Oh yum I love these types of cakes, I can just keep on eating them. Wish I had a magic never ending quart of buttermilk in my fridge, although I must admit when I do buy it I never seem to use it all either 🙂

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Anonymous August 17, 2012 - 10:11 pm

oh wow!! This loaf looks absolutely fluffy and nice!! And you used oil too!! That's awesome!! I should try this recipe as well 🙂

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Cake Duchess August 14, 2012 - 12:53 pm

Your loaf is beautiful, Lora:) I'm so intrigued by the addition of sumac and now want to bake something with it. I like to make my own sour milk by adding vinegar to my milk (even almond milk). I also never found ways to finish buttermilk when I would buy it and this solves the problem:) Thank you for baking with #TwelveLoaves:)xx

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Paula August 12, 2012 - 5:03 pm

I've don't believe I've ever tried sumac in/with anything. This bread looks fantastic.

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wendy@chezchloe August 12, 2012 - 2:15 pm

Right … sumac. An unknown to me like that fruit you posted about a few months ago. And I call myself a professional!
Thanks for the education The bread looks simple and delish with some oomph given by the lost ingredient… sumac.

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Lisa August 11, 2012 - 4:37 pm

I love that you added sumac to this quick loaf..it's so unusual, but unusual is usually what makes a baked good or dish 'pop'. I'm dying to taste this beautiful loaf! BTW..I would love it if you submitted it to to the Twelve Loaves linky..which you can find on my blog..or Lora and Barb's blog! By the way./.I can't tell you how many quarts of buttermilk have gone bad when I bought it for one recipe and when I needed it again, too much time had passed lol I'm all for the milk plus lemon juice 'buttermilk' now!

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Jamie August 11, 2012 - 11:52 am

Fascinating using sumac in this bread! And do you know that I actually have a packet of sumac since who knows when and have not yet used it! This bread is calling my name, baby! It looks so good, moist, tender, flavorful! And yeah, I know about the buttermilk thing but happily my husband loves to drink it by itself. Problem solved!

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Lauren August 10, 2012 - 1:28 pm

I've got a pint of buttermilk in my fridge left over from making waffles. I don't know why it's only available as a quart. I still haven't seen any sumac here but I haven't checked yet in the market next door to the Lebanese restaurant we go to all the time. This cake looks really moist and delicious!

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grace August 10, 2012 - 11:33 am

i don't think i know what sumac tastes or smells like! i clearly need to change that. this is a great use for that magical buttermilk. happily, it lasts a very long time in the fridge before taking a bad turn. 🙂

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Joanne August 10, 2012 - 12:01 pm

I have buttermilk in my fridge and always am looking for new sumac recipes! I've never seen it used in a dessert before…time to try it!

Reply

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