Description
Hands-off blueberry bread made entirely in your bread machine. This foolproof recipe produces bakery-quality loaves with perfectly distributed berries, tender crumb, and golden crust. Uses fresh or frozen blueberries and simple pantry ingredients for fresh bread anytime.
Ingredients
1 cup warm whole milk (80-90°F)
1 large egg, room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon (optional but recommended)
3 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 1 packet instant yeast)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for coating berries)
Instructions
1. Warm milk to 80-90°F in microwave (20-30 seconds). Check temperature with thermometer.
2. Soften butter at room temperature for 30 minutes, or microwave for 10 seconds until soft but not melted.
3. If using fresh blueberries, pat completely dry with paper towels. Toss blueberries (fresh or frozen) with 1 tablespoon flour to coat.
4. Add ingredients to bread machine pan in this order: warm milk, egg, softened butter, vanilla extract, sugar, salt, and lemon zest.
5. Pour bread flour over wet ingredients, spreading to cover liquid completely.
6. Make a small indentation in center of flour and add yeast to this well. Keep yeast away from salt and liquid.
7. If your machine has automatic fruit/nut dispenser, add floured blueberries to dispenser now.
8. Close lid and select “Sweet Bread” cycle or “Basic/White” cycle with medium crust setting.
9. Press Start. If your machine doesn’t have automatic dispenser, wait for “add ingredients” beep (usually 5-8 minutes into kneading), then add blueberries.
10. After 5 minutes of kneading, check dough consistency. It should form a smooth ball that’s slightly tacky but not sticky.
11. Let machine complete full cycle (usually 3-4 hours depending on model).
12. When cycle completes and machine beeps, immediately remove bread pan using oven mitts.
13. Let bread cool in pan for 5-10 minutes to set structure.
14. Turn pan upside down and gently shake to release loaf onto wire cooling rack.
15. Remove kneading paddle from bottom of loaf if stuck (use paddle removal hook).
16. Let bread cool completely for at least 1 hour before slicing. Cutting warm bread creates gummy texture.
Notes
Use frozen blueberries straight from freezer without thawing they work better than fresh.
Measure flour by spooning into cup and leveling, not scooping directly from bag.
Add blueberries at correct time not too early or they’ll get crushed into purple streaks.
Don’t add more than 1 cup berries or bread won’t rise properly.
Check yeast expiration date old yeast won’t rise.
Liquid temperature is critical: 80-90°F activates yeast, over 120°F kills it.
Don’t open lid during rising cycle as it releases heat and causes collapse.
Store at room temperature in bread box or plastic bag for up to 3 days.
Slice bread before freezing for easy individual portions. Freezes for up to 3 months.
Coating berries with flour helps them suspend in dough instead of sinking.
For lemon blueberry version, increase lemon zest to 2 tablespoons and add glaze.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 180
- Category: Bread/Breakfast
- Method: Bread Machine
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of loaf)
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: blueberry bread, bread machine recipe, fruit bread, easy bread, homemade bread