This Potato Flake Sourdough Lemon Bread is an easy “quick bread” that is tender, flavorful, and topped with a sweet, yet tart, lemon glaze that brings all the flavors together perfectly! It’s the best treat for spring and summer mornings—or honestly, any time you need a bright pick-me-up!

This recipe can be made using active or discard starter, making it perfect for any starter you have sitting around! With a long, slow ferment from your potato flake starter, this lemon loaf develops deeper flavor and a beautiful, moist texture. It’s a great way to use extra sourdough discard while giving your family something unique and bakery-worthy—without the extra cost of store-bought breads. Not to mention it is easier to digest when you use a starter to ferment your grains!

Why You’ll Love This Potato Flake Sourdough Lemon Bread

Bright lemon flavor – We use both fresh lemon juice and plenty of zest to give this loaf a real citrus punch.
Soft and fluffy texture – The fermentation process and rich ingredients like melted butter and yogurt make this loaf incredibly tender.
Perfect for discard – This recipe is a delicious way to use a cup of starter you might otherwise toss. To be honest, I never toss starter! There is ALWAYS something you can make with it!
Make-ahead friendly – You can ferment the batter overnight in a warm place, and bake the next day for best results.

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Tools You’ll Need

Before you get started, here’s a list of tools that will make this recipe even easier:

Large mixing bowl – For mixing your wet and dry ingredients.
Small bowl – To make the lemon glaze.
Measuring cups and spoons – Accurate measurements matter in baking!
Loaf pan – Use a standard 9×5-inch pan, lined with a sheet of parchment paper or greased well.
Zester or microplane – For getting those fine bits of lemon zest.
Wire rack – Helps your bread cool evenly.
Whisk and rubber spatula – Essential for smooth mixing without overworking the batter.
Plastic wrap – For covering the batter while it ferments.
Aluminum foil – Optional, to tent the bread if the top browns too quickly.

Since you need a good potato flake sourdough starter for this recipe, make sure you have one ready to go! If you don’t have one, check out my starter recipe for a simple way to build your own using instant potato flakes. It’s a fun kitchen project and a great way to start baking “yeast breads” with wild yeast instead of commercial yeast.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s a quick breakdown of the core ingredients and some important information about them:

Lemon zest and juice – It’s fine to leave the lemon pulp in the juice, but be sure there are no seeds.
Egg-Make sure it is room temperature so that it incorporated properly into the batter. (Easily bring it up to room temperature by placing in a blow of warm water for a few minutes)
Sugar – This will be turned into a lemon sugar by mixing with zest for a fragrant base to the batter.
Yogurt – Make sure you warm it up slightly so that it won’t cause your melted coconut oil and butter to harden.
Melted butter and coconut oil – They should be melted, but not so hot that it will kill your starter (100F is the recommended max temperature)
Potato Flake Sourdough starter – (discard or active) Using a starter and fermenting the batter will add flavor complexity and works as part of the liquid in the batter
Flour – Standard all-purpose flour, though bread flour may work if you don’t have all purpose, however, it will yield a chewier texture
Baking powder & baking soda – Key leavening agents added after fermentation, these help boost and give the loaf a good rise.

How to Make Potato Flake Sourdough Lemon Bread

Make the Lemon Sugar

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon zest. Use your fingers to massage the zest into the sugar until it becomes fragrant and pale yellow. This releases the natural essential oils and boosts the lemon flavor.

Mix the Wet Ingredients

Juice your zested lemons and set aside ¼ cup for the batter and 1 tablespoon for the glaze.

To the lemon sugar, add: 1 room temperature egg , ½ cup yogurt (room temperature), ¼ cup lemon juice, ½ cup potato flake sourdough discard, ¼ cup melted coconut oil, ¼ cup melted butter, cooled.

Whisk everything together until smooth and fully combined.

Add the Flour

Add 2½ cups all-purpose flour to the wet mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently mix until a thick batter forms and no flour streaks remain. Be careful not to over-mix.

Ferment the Batter

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for 8–16 hours. This allows the batter to ferment, deepening the flavor and breaking down the starches for better digestibility. Need to leave it longer? Place it in the fridge for additional fermentation time. Putting it in the refrigerator slows down the fermentation and allows you to wait until the most convenient time to bake the lemon bread.

Finish the Batter

fermented potato flake sourdough lemon bread batter

After fermentation, preheat your oven to 375°F and prepare your loaf pan with parchment or cooking spray. Add the following to the batter using a small fine mesh strainer to sift the dry ingredients to avoid lumps in the batter.:

1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Stir until fully incorporated, but avoid over-mixing. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake

potato flake sourdough lemon bread before baking

Place the pan in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check the bread at 20 minutes and cover loosely with aluminum foil if the top is browning too quickly.

Make the Lemon Glaze

While the bread bakes, whisk together in a small bowl:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

It will be thick and seem that it won’t come together at first, but don’t be tempted to add more juice yet. Continue mixing. It will form a thick icing glaze that will top the loaf perfectly.

After the bread cools for 10 minutes in the pan, transfer it to a wire rack and cover with the glaze. Garnish with ½ teaspoon of lemon zest if desired.

Make These for Gifts:

Use mini loaf pans instead of a large pan and make 4 mini loaves to gift to someone. I love making the mini loaves as gifts and putting them in a small cookie bag with a cute ribbon and gift tag. It makes such a sweet gift and everyone always loves a homemade sourdough gift!

Tips for the Best Lemon Bread

Don’t skip the lemon sugar: It’s the easiest way to infuse citrus flavor throughout.
Allow fermentation: Using 1/2 cup of starter to ferment your batter, really gives this bread a depth of flavor!
Store leftovers in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
Use a mild flavored olive oil or avocado oil if you’re out of coconut oil. (other oils can be used, but these are the healthier options)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I skip the fermentation step?

Technically, yes—you can make this lemon bread without the long fermentation step. Just mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together, add your leavening agents, and bake right away instead of letting it sit for the fermentation step. However, you’ll be missing out on the unique flavor and added digestibility that comes from the fermentation process. If you’re short on time, you can still enjoy this delicious lemon bread—by skipping the fermentation time. If you have the time, it’s best to let the dough ferment.

Can I use sour cream instead of yogurt in this recipe?

I typically use yogurt in all of my recipes because I make it homemade in my instant pot, which makes it such a cost effective option for us. If you aren’t a big yogurt family you can definitely use sour cream . if you fins that it is a bit too thick add a splash or two of milk to thin it out. Sour cream can be used as a substitute for yogurt in equal amounts. It adds richness and moisture, giving the lemon bread a tender crumb.

Can I double the recipe?

Yes! Just be sure to divide the batter evenly into two loaf pans. An easy way to do this is to use a 1/4 cup cookie scoop and spoon one scoop at a time in each pan alternating until you have no batter left. This will help ensure that they are evenly divided. Also be sure to watch the baking time—it may vary slightly having two loaves in the oven instead of one.

How do I make my lemon bread more lemony?

For more lemon flavor, add extra lemon zest or a bit of lemon extract (after fermentation.) You can also poke holes in the warm bread and pour a lemon syrup over it before glazing.

Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh?

Fresh is always best, especially for the most vibrant flavor. However, bottled lemon juice can be used in a pinch—just make sure it’s 100% lemon juice with no additives.

Can I add mix-ins like blueberries or other berries?

Absolutely. Fresh blueberries pair beautifully with lemon flavor. Gently fold them into the batter before fermenting.

Can I make lemon bread muffins with this recipe?

Yes! You can pour the batter into a greased muffin tin or use liners to make beautiful muffins. Reduce baking time to 15–20 minutes and check for doneness with a toothpick. However, you might want to check out my potato flake sourdough lemon poppyseed muffin recipe!

Pin for later and share with a friend:

potato flake sourdough lemon bread pin image

This Potato Flake Sourdough Lemon Bread is such a delicious bread to enjoy, plus—it’s a great way to use up some discard that you might have built up in the fridge. If it’s your first time using discard in a sweet loaf, you’ll be amazed how easy it is and might want to try out another loaf like banana bread, carrot bread, zucchini bread, or pumpkin bread! Whether you have an existing starter given to you by a friend or you built a new starter from scratch, this recipe will bring the freshness of spring and summer with its bright flavor of lemon in one easy loaf.

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