This delicious blueberry pull apart bread is a full of lemon flavour and the perfect treat for any time of day! This loaf is flavoured with lemon sugar and studded with blueberries.
It’s citrus season and there is no better way to enjoy it than this delicious Lemon Blueberry Pull Apart Bread!
Filled with lemon sugar, dotted with blueberries and topped with a lemon glaze, this pull apart bread can be enjoyed any time of day. And there’s just something so fun about pulling off a slice to enjoy any time.
This bread is made with a great sweet dough, enriched with eggs and butter, so it has tons of flavour and great texture.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Blueberries – you can use fresh or frozen blueberries for this bread. For frozen blueberries, partially thaw and pat dry.
Lemon – you can use regular lemons or Meyer lemons here.
Yeast – you can use Active Dry yeast or Instant yeast for this bread. Active Dry yeast will require a minor adjustment, which is noted in the Recipe Card.
Recipe Tips
As this bread is enriched with eggs and butter, it is best enjoyed in the first day after baking. Well-wrapped, it will be fine into the second day as well. For longer, I’d suggest freezing to enjoy the rest later. This bread will freeze well for 2-3 months.
I’ve baked mine up in my 4×10-inch tea loaf pan. If you don’t have that pan, you can use a 9×5-inch loaf pan instead. I’ve included some slightly different instructions for this size pan in the recipe notes.
Top Tip!
This bread may look done before it is done. It will need 35-40 minutes in the oven. Check it around the 30 minute mark and if it has browned enough, lay a piece of aluminum foil loosely over-top to prevent further browning and allow to cook longer.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Blueberry Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients
For the bread dough:
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoon Instant yeast, see *Notes below for active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/3 cup milk
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
- 2 large eggs
For the lemon sugar filling:
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, from about 2 lemons
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or partially thawed frozen blueberries
For the lemon glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’/icing sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- If using Active Dry yeast, don't add the yeast to the flour. Instead, add the yeast to the milk mixture once it has cooled to 105F. Allow to stand a few minutes, then add as directed.
- Make the bread dough: Stir together 2 cups of the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the instant yeast and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter over low heat just until the butter is melted. Alternately, warm in the microwave for about 45 seconds. Remove from the heat and add the 1/4 cup water. Set aside until cooled to just lukewarm (about 120°F) if using instant yeast or about 105F if using active dry yeast. (Add Active Dry yeast, if using, to the milk mixture once cooled to 105F and let stand a few minutes). Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture (along with the proofed active dry yeast, if using) and, using a rubber spatula or the paddle attachment, mix until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing just until incorporated after each addition. Stop the mixer and add the remaining 1/2 cup flour.
- If using a stand mixture, remove the paddle attachment and place the kneading hook on the mixture. Resume mixing on low speed, adding additional flour as needed to make a smooth, moist and just slightly sticky dough. If making by hand, knead with as little additional flour as needed until dough is smooth.
- Place the dough in a large, greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
- Make the lemon filling: While the dough is rising, in a small bowl, mix together the sugar and lemon zest. Set aside. The sugar draws out moisture from the zests to create a wet sand consistency, so don’t be alarmed when you see this.
- Assemble the pull apart bread: Preheat the oven to 350°F (regular bake setting/not fan assisted) with the rack in the centre of the oven. Spray a 4 x 10-inch tea loaf pan with cooking spray. **Alternately, use a 9x5-inch loaf pan and see Notes at bottom for cutting strips. Set on to a baking sheet and set aside.
- Place risen dough on a lightly floured surface and gently deflate the dough. Roll the dough into a 12-inch by 21-inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife and with the long side closest to you, cut the dough into 6 strips even strips about 3 1/2 inches wide from top to bottom, making 6 strips 3 1/2-inches wide and 12 inches long. Using a pastry brush, spread the 4 Tbsp melted butter generously over each of the strips of dough. Scatter all the lemon/sugar mixture evenly over-top of the strips as well.
- Gently layer all the strips on top of each other into one pile. Using a sharp knife, cut the pile into 6 even pieces, each about 2 inches, making 6 piles about 3 1/2 - 2 inches in size. Arrange the piles in a rowl in your prepared tea loaf pan. Scatter any lemon sugar the was left behind on your work surface over-top of the loaf.
- Press blueberries in between slices here and there across the loaf.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until puffy and almost doubled in size, 30 to 60 minutes.
- Bake the loaf on top of a baking sheet, until golden brown and they sound hollow when tapped, about 35 minutes or until it reaches about 190-195F when tested with an instant read thermometer. If the top seems to be at risk of over-browning, cover the top loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil and continue cooking. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and remove loaf to a cooling rack set on top of a baking sheet. Allow to cool completely.
- Make the lemon glaze: In a medium bowl combine the icing sugar with the milk and lemon juice until the mixture is smooth and pours easily off a spoon. Drizzle over cooled loaf.
Notes
More Pull Apart Bread Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Hello – haven’t made bread in a while, so am asking what may be a basic question. Can this be partially made the night before, then finished off? Looking at this for breakfast, but would have to get up sooo early to make it. Thanks so much. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Carol, I haven’t tried it, so not guarantees, but you may be able to cover and refrigerate after placing into the loaf pan and before the second rise. In the morning, just take out of the fridge and let it warm/rise a bit more (if needed), then bake.
Can I use sugar substitute like Truvia
I’ve never tried it, Tammy, but the sugar in this one is only for sweetness, so substituting shouldn’t case any technical issues.