Lemon & Poppyseed Pull Apart Bread

• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 2 TBS finely grated lemon zest
• 2 TBS poppyseeds
• pinch of salt
• 2 TBS softened butter

• 3 cups self-rising flour (see notes)
• 1/2 cup (120g) cold butter (1 stick)
• 1 1/2 cups (360ml) whole milk

• 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 TBS butter, melted
• 1 tsp Limoncello (optional)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 1 cup (130g) Icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin really well and line with baking parchment paper leaving an overhang for lifting out.
2. Make the filling. Measure the lemon zest into a bowl and add the sugar. Rub together until lovely and fragrant. Stir in the poppyseeds and salt. Set aside.
3. To make the dough, measure the flour into a bowl. Cut the butter into bits and drop into the bowl.
4. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Stir in the milk using a fork, mixing until you have a soft dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a few times until the dough comes together.
6. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 12 by 20 inch rectangle. Trim the edges to straighten using a pizza cutter.
7. Spread the softened butter evenly over top of the dough. Sprinkle the filling over top evenly, pressing it down lightly so that it adheres.
8. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into five evenly sized strips crosswise. (4 by 12 inch strips). Stack these five rectangles on top of each other.
9. Using a pizza cutter, cut the stacked rectangles cross wise into four equal squares. Place the squares into the prepared loaf pan, cut sides up. (refer to photograph)
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, covering it loosely with a sheet of tinfoil if it starts to get too brown.
11. While the loaf is baking make the glaze. Whisk all of the ingredients together to give you a nice thick pourable drizzle. If it is too thick, you may add a bit more lemon juice to give you the right consistency.
12. Remove the bread from the oven and place the loaf tin on a wire rack, which has been placed over a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Pour half of the drizzle icing over top of the loaf while it is still in the pan as soon as you take it from the oven. Leave for fifteen minutes.
13. Lift out of the pan and pour the remaining drizzle over top. Let cool slightly before pulling apart to eat and enjoy!

You can very easily make your own self rising flour. For every cup of flour simply whisk in 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt.

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