Cider bread. Ever made any? It’s always amazing, without fail. When I got this sweet, fragrant strawberry-lime cider from the folks at the North Festival to use to explore Swedish cuisine and liquor I knew it was going to be cider bread. The best part of this bread is that the cider does most of the work. You just mix your dry ingredients, add the cider, and watch the magic happen.
When this bread came out of the oven, it legit smelled like strawberry Poptarts in my house. If you don’t know how I feel about Poptarts, well, I love them to say the least. Let’s get to this easy recipe.
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Swedish Cider Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 1 loaf (10 slices) 1x
Description
The fruity flavors in the Swedish cider lend this quick bread a sweetness that is enhanced by a zesty glaze.
Ingredients
- for the bread
- 3 cups (720 ml) all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 dark brown sugar
- 1 12oz (355 ml) bottle of Rekorderlig cider, or any hard cider you want!
For the glaze
- juice from half of a lime
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) of confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly for about 2 minutes to aerate. Then add your brown sugar and mix thoroughly again.
- Pour the bottle of cider into the dry mixture and mix until no more lumps appear. Scrape down the side and gently mix whatever might be stuck to the side of the bowl into the mixture, so as not to overmix. (You want it to keep a lot of the carbonation)
- Spray a standard loaf pan with baking spray and pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Slather some glaze on there, cut up some fruit if you so choose and go to town.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: Scandinavian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 250
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- How to Make “Lussekatter”: Traditional Swedish Lucia Buns
- Cranberry Pecan Bread
- Rum Glazed Eggnog Bread
- Spring Strawberry Cake Roll
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the hard cider make the bread rise without yeast?
The leavening comes from 4 tsp of baking powder, not the cider itself. The cider’s carbonation adds lightness — which is why the instructions warn against overmixing so you retain as much of that carbonation as possible. 
Does it matter which hard cider I use?
The recipe was developed with a Rekorderlig strawberry-lime cider, which gave the bread a Pop-Tart-like aroma when baked. Any 12 oz hard cider works — just know that a fruitier cider will produce a more fragrant loaf than a drier one.
When do I add the lime glaze?
The glaze (3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar whisked with the juice of half a lime) goes on after baking. The instructions say to slather it on the finished loaf before slicing.
