Peel pears leaving the stems intact and cut the bottoms flat so that they stand upright. Combine the water, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil; add the pears and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
Bread
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with flour-based baking spray or grease and flour pan.
Cream the brown sugar and butter in a large bowl; add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the sour cream. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add the flour mixture alternately with the lager beginning and ending with flour. Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan and level the top with a spatula. Stand pears upright in the batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and springs back when pressed. If you’re not sure if the bread is done, test it with a skewer. When the bread is done the skewer will come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Glaze
Combine in a small bowl using a whisk. Mixture should be thick and fall in a ribbon from a spoon. Drizzle the glaze over the bread and let stand until set, about 30 minutes. Cut bread into slices using a serrated knife. Serve.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Slices can be warmed in the microwave for 20 seconds.