Ingredients

makes one 9-inch loaf

　　3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan

　　1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

　　3/4 cup sugar

　　1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

　　3 large eggs

　　1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

　　1 cup fine yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)

　　1 teaspoon baking powder

　　3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

　　1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, half coarsely chopped and half whole

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Add lemon zest; mix 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and thyme. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt, and mix until just combined. Stir in chopped pine nuts.

　　

Step 3

Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with whole pine nuts. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Garnish with thyme. The bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.