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There's nothing better than digging into a warm loaf of roasted blackberry lemon pull apart bread. Each slice is coated in jammy berries and lemon zest for a wonderful afternoon treat.
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What makes this recipe special
As you may have already guessed, I'm a little obsessed with bread. Okay, maybe more like a lot obsessed. Now that berries are coming in season, that means it's time to make all the sweet fruit bread.
Aside from this raspberry lychee rose babka and mixed berry fruit focaccia, this roasted blackberry lemon pull apart bread was high on my list of bread-baking priorities. Imagine layers of soft bread sandwiched together with roasted blackberries and lemon sugar and finished with a lemon drizzle, and that's what you have here. It's quite delightful, if I do say so myself.
Recipe
Roasted Blackberry Lemon Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- ¾ cup warm milk, 100-110 degrees F (175 ml)
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (7 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (406 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened at room temperature (42 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
Filling
- 14 ounces blackberries
- 2 tablespoons honey
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Remaining ingredients
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (28 grams)
- egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespon water)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (65 grams)
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the dough. Combine the warm milk with yeast and let sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture is foamy and the yeast is activated.
- Combine the yeast mixture with the remaining dough ingredients including sugar, flour, salt, butter, vanilla, and egg. Mix the ingredients until a dough forms and continue to knead for 6-7 minutes or until smooth. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper.
- While the dough is proofing, roast the blackberries. Toss the berries with honey and a pinch of salt. Spread the berries in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast the fruit for 20-25 minutes or until softened. Remove from the oven and transfer the berries to a bowl. Use a fork to smash them to release the juices and let them cool completely.
- Combine ½ cup sugar with 2 tablespoons of lemon zest until well combined. Set aside.
- Punch down the dough. Dust a clean work counter with flour and roll out the dough into a 15x12-inch rectangle. Brush the top of the dough with melted butter. Sprinkle lemon sugar and spread roasted blackberries in an even layer. Cut the dough into 15 squares, 4x3 inches each. Stack the squares on top of another, flipping the last square so that the side with the filling is facing down.
- Grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Carefully transfer the squares to the pan. Cover the bread and proof for 30 minutes in a warm area.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Brush the top of the loaf with egg wash. Bake the roasted blackberry lemon pull apart bread for 50 minutes - 1 hour or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
- While the bread is cooling, make the lemon glaze. Beat together the powdered sugar with lemon juice until well combined. Drizzle the lemon glaze on top and serve.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make dough
Like many other breads, this roasted blackberry lemon pull apart bread takes time and effort. But, like many other breads, it's worth every minute. When I was at the Culinary Institute of America, my pastry chef would constantly remind us not to rush the process and to believe. And you know what? He was right.
To make the bread, start by making the dough. This is an enriched dough, made with milk, butter, and an egg to yield a soft dough. You can tell just by how dough feels that it's going to be soft.
If you use a stand mixer, the dough might look like it needs more flour because it might stick to the bowl. This is when I like to take the dough out of the bowl and knead it with my hands. If you're able to knead the dough easily, you don't need any more flour.
Place the dough in a warm area and proof until it's doubled in size. If your kitchen is particularly chilly, this could take longer than 1 hour. When I prepared this bread in February, it took 2 hours for the bread to proof.
Step 2: Prepare fillings
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Toss the blackberries with honey and a pinch of salt and roast them until they've softened.
If fresh berries are available, I recommend using them instead of frozen. Frozen berries can have more water content, making the filling wetter.
Use a fork or masher to smash the berries to release the juices. Set them aside and let them cool completely.
For the lemon sugar, rub the lemon zest with sugar to release the citrus oils. Go ahead and give it a smell. Smells divine, right?
Step 3: Shape dough
By now, your dough should be ready. Punch down the dough and roll it out to a large rectangle about 15x12 inches. Spread the melted butter, lemon sugar, and roasted berries in an even layer.
Then, cut the dough into 4x3-inch squares for a total of 15 squares. Don't worry if the squares aren't exactly the same; the misshapen ones will give the bread more texture!
Now comes the tricky part: transferring the dough to the loaf pan. I found the easiest way was to stand the loaf pan on its side and carefully scoop the dough into the pan. Alternatively, you can stack the dough one by one into the loaf pan.
Cover the loaf pan and let it proof a second time for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Bake
And now it's finally time to bake the bread! Since there are blackberry juices in the pan, it helps to place a baking sheet underneath the loaf pan as it bakes. This will prevent any juices that might spill over from burning the bottom of your oven.
Bake the bread for about 50 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown. Normally, I don't use the toothpick method to check if the bread is done, but it can actually be helpful in this instance. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, it should be ready.
Recipe tip
Run a spatula around the edge of the loaf while the bread is still warm to help release it from the pan. The blackberry juices and lemon sugar will harden as it cools, making it more difficult to release the bread after it's cooled.
Let the bread cool completely, then drizzle on that lovely lemon icing.
Enjoy this roasted blackberry lemon pull apart bread warm or at room temperature. Pull apart those layers and bite into that blackberry-filled, lemon-scented bread. The berry filling becomes almost jam-like, coating the slices with a touch of berry sweetness while the lemon ties everything together. Now this is one lovely bread!
For more pull apart bread recipes, check out this Meyer lemon pull apart bread and pizza pull apart bread!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: You can make the dough the day before and let it chill in the refridgerator overnight. Let it come to room temperature before shaping. You can also prepare the fillings the day before.
- Store: Wrap the bread in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
More blackberry dessert recipes
Looking for more blackberry dessert ideas? Try these:
Work with me
All images shot and styled by Christine Ma. Available for food photography, styling, and recipe development.
Becky says
I couldn't stop eating this loaf! The flavors were so tasty, I kept pulling apart another layer after layer.
Christine Ma says
I was the same way! Thanks for giving my recipe a try!