We love to walk to the coffee shop a few blocks away, but it can be pricey to take a family of four out for lattés and muffins. It was an especially rainy day, so instead of going out I decided to bake a treat and brew coffee at home. I found a quick and easy recipe for Poppy Seed Bread, a homemade version of one of our favorite coffee shop treats. It’s also one of the things I remember from my childhood—my mom loved baking anything with poppy seeds. She would also love that this bread can be in the oven in 15 minutes!

This recipe makes one loaf, so begin by buttering or greasing the pan on the bottom only.

Next, combine the dry ingredients. Measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling with the back side of a butter knife. This helps ensure you don’t get too much flour, which can cause dry baked goods.

Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds into the same bowl. I buy my poppy seeds at the co-op in the refrigerated bulk section and keep them in the fridge so they stay fresh. You can also get them in the spice section, but it’s smart to refrigerate them after opening because they contain oils that can go rancid if left at room temperature.

Mix these dry ingredients together—I think a whisk works particularly well for this purpose—and set the bowl aside for later.

Now move on to creaming the butter and sugar.

Stop and scrape with your spatula a few times. After a few minutes the mixture will be creamy.

Zest a lemon onto a piece of wax paper …

… and simply tap it into the bowl.

Next, add the yogurt, vanilla, and two fresh eggs.

When this mixture is well combined, add about half the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened.

Then add about ½ the milk and continue to mix on low until combined.

Now just mix in the second half of the dry poppy seed mixture, and then the remaining milk. You will have a light creamy batter.

Simply scrape the mixture out into the prepared loaf pan …

… and smooth out the top. You are ready to bake!

Wow! This loaf baked to a beautiful golden color, with a nice crack in the top for the poppy seeds to peek through.

After 10 minutes, run a butter knife along the edges, gently pressing in toward the center to make sure the loaf is loosened on the bottom.

Then, gently tip the loaf out into your palm …

… and flip it right-side-up onto the cooling rack.

The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the bread to cool. It smells so amazing you want to cut into it right away, but the flavor is best if you can wait! Kill time by brewing some coffee and getting out some fun mugs, sugar, ½ and ½ and butter. When the bread is cooled, it slices beautifully.

We loved the crisp outsides on this poppy seed bread. My husband commented that when you buy the treats at the coffee shop, often they are wrapped in plastic and can get kind of sticky on the outside.

It was so cozy and warm inside the house, with the rain pouring in torrents outside our windows. We hope you’ll try this delicious Poppy Seed Bread, on a rainy day or anytime. I’d love to hear how you like it, and how it compares to your favorite coffee shop treats.

Check back in a few days when I will share an easy bar recipe.

Liz is paid to write for the Land O'Lakes Recipe Buzz® Blog.