Dairy-free lemon and olive oil loaf

A simple lemon loaf made with olive oil and water instead of butter and milk. Serve a modest slice on its own for a bright, unfussy afternoon bake.

Serves: 10 slices
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 45–55 minutes
Total: 60–70 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 220 g plain wheat flour
• 8 g baking powder
• 1 g fine salt
• 140 g caster sugar
• 150 g beaten egg, weighed without shells
• 90 ml mild olive oil, plus a little for the tin
• 90 ml water
• 40 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 6 g finely grated lemon zest, avoiding the white pith

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170°C fan-forced or 190°C conventional. Lightly oil a 22 × 11 cm loaf tin and line the base and long sides with baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl to distribute them evenly.
3. In another bowl, whisk the sugar, beaten egg and lemon zest for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then the water and lemon juice.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently until no dry flour remains; avoid prolonged mixing.
5. Transfer to the tin and smooth the top. Bake for 45–55 minutes, checking from 45 minutes. The centre should spring back lightly and a skewer inserted in the middle should come out without wet batter. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
6. Leave in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift onto a wire rack. Cool fully before cutting into 10 slices.

Intolerance and allergy considerations

• Dairy-free ingredients: this recipe uses no milk, butter or yoghurt. Check packaged ingredients and preparation surfaces if you need to avoid milk because of allergy.
• Contains wheat and egg: it is not suitable as written for coeliac disease or wheat or egg allergy.
• FODMAPs: this recipe has not been assessed for FODMAP content and is not labelled low FODMAP. Wheat flour and portion size may matter for your individual plan.
• Sucrose and starch: the loaf contains added sugar and flour. It is not a low-sucrose or low-starch recipe.

Practical substitutions

Use 90 ml canola oil instead of olive oil for a more neutral flavour. For an orange variation, replace the lemon juice and zest with the same quantities of orange juice and finely grated orange zest. These swaps do not establish suitability for a particular intolerance.

A flour or egg replacement can alter structure and baking time considerably. If either needs to be excluded, choose a recipe developed for that requirement rather than assuming a direct swap will work.

Serving and storage

Enjoy plain, without cream or butter, to retain the dairy-free ingredients. Once fully cool, store airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze individual slices for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge.

More ideas

Read our guide to lactose-free and dairy-free labels, learn about sucrose and starch, or browse the recipe collection. Follow individual advice from your healthcare professional when adapting your diet.