This is the loaf of the summer. Incredibly moist in texture, and bright in flavor, it is sure to be a hit with the whole crowd – even if you’re not a fan of lemon desserts. The ricotta is an unlikely but welcomed addition to the zesty lemon in this loaf. It pairs perfectly with morning coffee, makes a great late-night snack and is a delicious treat in between.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Lemon + Ricotta Loaf
I’m not much of a “lemon dessert” gal, but I’m always up for trying new pairings. The thought of lemon paired with ricotta cheese sounded summery and delicious- and it was exactly that. This loaf will please everyone from adults to kids. It is sweet and zesty, moist and cakey, and an overall winner for the summer season.
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Discard – This is just inactive sourdough starter that hasn’t been fed. It is equal parts flour and water that has already risen and fallen and now can be added to a multitude of recipes.
Flour – unbleached all-purpose flour.
Ricotta – whole milk ricotta cheese, any brand your grocery store carries.
Lemon – the zest + juice of 3 large lemons.
Sugar – granulated sugar works best, but you can use any sugar substitute you prefer.
Salt – we love using pink Himalayan salt.
Baking powder – the leavening agent for the bread, this is what will make your bread rise.
👩🍳 How to Make Lemon + Ricotta Loaf
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients with the lemon zest.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together your sugar, eggs and ricotta until combined. Add in lemon juice and sourdough discard, whisk until there are no more streaks.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter forms.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Transfer the batter into a 9.5 x 5 loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.
- While your bread is baking, make your lemon glaze by whisking together powdered sugar and lemon juice. If you want your glaze to be on the thinner side, add a splash of milk until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
- When your loaf is done baking, let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Pour the glaze directly on top of your loaf, and enjoy!
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Zest your lemons before you juice them.
- If you can, let your batter rest for 15 minutes to let the discard relax and you’ll end up with a fluffier loaf.
- Let your loaf cool fully before glazing
🗒 Variations
Here are some other lemon-flavored spring/summer desserts that you could try!
🗒 Substitutions
- Sugar – Sugar substitute
- Whole milk ricotta- Part skim ricotta
🗒 Best served with
- Morning coffee
- Cold glass of milk
- After dinner dessert
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store the leftover loaf in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
🤔 Common Questions
Sugar is usually added with the wet ingredients.
Sourdough Discard Lemon + Ricotta Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbs lemon zest zest of 3 lemons
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup sourdough discard
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice juice of 2-3 lemons
Lemon Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbs lemon juice
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients with the lemon zest.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together your sugar, eggs and ricotta until combined. Add in lemon juice and sourdough discard, whisk until there are no more streaks.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter forms.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Transfer the batter into a 9.5 x 5 loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.
- While your bread is baking, make your lemon glaze by whisking together powdered sugar and lemon juice. If you want your glaze to be on the thinner side, add a splash of milk until you've reached your desired consistency.
- When your loaf is done baking, let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Pour the glaze directly on top of your loaf, and enjoy!
New family favourite ❤️
SO yummy and perfect for summer!! I did slightly under an hour in a cast iron loaf pan and it was perfect 🙂
Would it be okay to swap ricotta for cottage cheese?
I do this in lasagna but haven’t in a desert before!
Sure can!