This is a nice celebration sweet bread for Pride Month.

In this lesson, participants learn to cream ingredients by hand (i.e. without an electric mixer).

Lemon Rainbow Bread

Yields 2 small loafs

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • food coloring

Method

1 hour before the lesson: 

remove eggs and butter from fridge and bring to room temperature

~If you forgot this step, DO NOT melt the butter to try to catch up. Instead, cut up the butter into small cubes separating them so it can soften. If you melt it, the butter will separate.

Before we begin: 

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  • Cut up butter into small cubes
  • Wash and dry lemon
  • Zest lemon – approx. 1 TBSP of zest
  • Squeeze juice from lemon – approx. 2 TBSP of juice
  • Grease pans

Step 1: 

In bowl or container – combine flour, baking powder, salt and stir together.

Step 2:

2a. In another bowl – Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy (in the lesson, we will be creaming using a fork, but if you have a stand mixer or electric mixer, you can use those instead)

2b. Beat in eggs one at a time until emulsified

2c. Add lemon zest and lemon juice 

Step 3: 

To the sugar/butter batter, alternate adding the milk and flour mixture, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.

CAREFUL OF OVER-MIXING!

Try to mix quickly if you can. You don’t need to have it completely incorporated before adding the next batch, just mixed enough.

Step 4: 

Divide batter into small bowls. Add food coloring of choice into each bowl and mix well. You can do 3-4 colors.

Step 5: 

Pour batter into pans, alternating colors. Use a spatula to even out each layer before adding the next color. Leave about 0.5-1 inch off the top of the pan so the bread can rise. You’ll have some batter left over.

Step 6: 

Bake until done. The mini loaf pans require about 30-40 minutes in oven.

 

Please recycle!

  • Compost produce scraps. 
  • Wash out the cans or containers and reuse or recycle.
  • Recycle cardboard boxes.
  • Wash and reuse loaf pans

Images from the lesson:

Special thanks to our amazing volunteer Lilit, who helped test run the recipe and assisted in the live program.

Recipe adapted from:  https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/lemon-bread/