Bursting with blueberries. That’s how I like all things blueberry in the summer when beautiful berries are in season. I rarely buy a blueberry muffin, because I find them so insipid with a small portion of berries, and those flown in from a distance out of season. And to be perfectly honest, I prefer a loaf like this to a muffin. A big slab of blueberry studded, sweet and rich, tender crumb over a fussy, falling apart paper wrapped nugget – not to mention it’s easier to make. And this particular loaf is so packed with blueberries. Tender and moist with buttermilk, deepened with browned butter, enlivened by vanilla, then shot through with burst of berries and an added layer of syrup-like sweetness, all topped off with a sweet, crackly crumble. It’s like a blueberry cobbler in loaf form!
The loaf pan is filled to the brim with delicious batter, syrup and crumble, so I like to place a sheet of foil beneath it in the oven in case there is any spillover. This is best served in thick slices to hold up to the crumble and layer of blueberry syrup. Browning the butter adds such depth to this loaf I highly recommend it, but in a pinch you can use simple melted butter. I love the added tenderness of baking with buttermilk, but whole milk will do. Wrapped tightly this loaf will keep for a several days, but I find it best to put it back in the pan so the crumble doesn’t all fall off. It is certainly perfect for eating out of hand but is hearty enough to each with a fork on a plate. In which case, you could dollop it with yogurt and more berries, or even toast it and slather it with butter.
Ingredients
- For the Blueberry Topping
1 cup blueberries
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- For the Loaf
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk (or whole milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
1 ¼ cup blueberries
- For the Crumble
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
¼ cup ( ½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Directions
- For the Blueberry Topping
- Put the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and cook, mashing with a spatula or a fork, until the blueberries are broken down and the whole is syrupy. You want to squash all the berries into a syrupy topping – a but chunky is fine, but no whole berries. Set aside to cool.
- For the Loaf
- While the blueberries are cooking, put the butter, cut into small pieces and place in a small saucepan (light colored or stainless is best so you can see the butter as it browns). Heat over medium high heat, watching constantly, until the butter is melted. It will start to spit and hiss, then you will see brown speckles appear. Swirl the butter around to distribute the browned bits, and as soon as the butter has an even brown color and a nice nutty smell, pour it into a heat proof measuring jug. Leave to cool to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a sheet of foil on the rack under the top rack to catch any drips. Line a 9 by 5-inch loaf plan with parchment paper.
- Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the milk to the cooled brown butter and stir, then pour into the bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir just until combined and no streaks of dry ingredients are visible. Add the blueberries and gently fold in to distribute evenly. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and spread the top to an even layer.
- For the Crumble
- Put the flour, granulated and brown sugar and pinch of salt in a small bowl and stir it with a fork to combine and break up any lumps (you can use your fingers to rub out any lumps of brown sugar). Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine to a crumbly mixture (your hands can be useful here too).
- Spread the blueberry topping evenly over the top of the batter, then use your fingers to sprinkle the crumble over the top, breaking it up and crumbling it to completely cover the top. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is a nice nutty brown. Cool in the pan, then serve in thick slices.
Leave a Reply