How to Make Easy Sourdough Lemon-Date Bread (Air Fryer or Oven, Diabetic Friendly)

This bread is easy to make and good! It's also good for you, with plenty of whole grains and beneficial fiber. In moderation, the bread is acceptable if you're on a diabetic diet or want to "eat healthy." The bread is lightly lemon-flavored, which complements the sourdough tang. Dates add little touches of sweetness and keep the bread from tasting "too sour." I like to bake the dough in two round 6-inch cake pans in the air fryer, and it comes out with a nice dark brown crispy crust. You can also bake the breads in a regular oven or bake one large loaf. We like the bread for breakfast, and slices also make nice additions to a fruit and cheese board. Enjoy!

How to Make Easy Sourdough Lemon-Date Bread (Air Fryer or Oven, Diabetic Friendly)

Sourdough Lemon-Date Bread (Diabetic Friendly)-- Makes Two 6-inch Loaves

1 cup of sourdough starter/discard

1/3 cup of canola oil

1 large egg

Grated zest from half a medium lemon

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/4 cup of milk

1/4 cup of date puree (barely cover 1/4 cup of dates with boiling water, let them cool,

and mash the mixture well with a fork)

1 cup of white whole-wheat flour

1 cup of chopped pitted dates

In a large bowl combine the starter/discard, oil, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and date puree until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the white whole-wheat flour and the chopped dates until completely combined. Loosely cover the mixture and let it sit out on the counter for at least an hour. I routinely let my mixture sit for 3-4 hours, and it's fine. When you're ready, add to the mixture:

1 1/4 cup of white whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

Mix, then knead in the flour and salt. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes, adding in an additional 1/4 cup or so of flour to prevent the dough from being too sticky to knead. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Spritz two 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and place a dough ball in each pan. Spritz the tops of the dough balls with canola oil or cooking spray. Loosely cover the dough and let it rise until it increases in size by about one-third. This usually takes a couple of hours in my warmish kitchen. You can make small slash marks (about 1/4-inch deep) on the top of the loaves if you like.

Air Fryer: Air fry the loaves at 320 degrees for about 30 minutes or until dark brown and an instant read thermometer registers at least 190 degrees.

Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the loaves for 35-45 minutes or until dark brown and an instant read thermometer registers at least 190 degrees.

Let the breads cool completely before slicing them.

How to Make Easy Sourdough Lemon-Date Bread (Air Fryer or Oven, Diabetic Friendly)