Zucchini Bread

Zucchini is the best. There are so many things that you can do with zucchini, but I must say, zucchini bread is my favorite. A close second place goes to zucchini fritters. 

It is the middle of summer right now, mid-August, and I turned on my oven for this! That says it all. Once it was in the oven for just 20 minutes, the house was filled with that delicious smell of goodness. The recipe says to wait 10 minutes before you dive in, to let the bread rest - but, my toddler wasn’t having it. So,  I cut out a slice the second I took it out of the oven.

We sat outside for breakfast today, and everyone loved the fresh bread. My toddler didn’t even think to protest the veggies and protein that was hiding in this delicious breakfast treat.

Prepare your ingredients

1. Toasts the pine nuts

2. Chop the rosemary - or thyme

3. Grate & Juice 1 orange

4. Shred the zucchini & set aside to drain in a strainer

Mix it up

The process of separately mixing dry ingredients, then wet ingredients, and slowly incorporating the two is a time-tested strategy in baking, and there's a good reason why. Mixing dry ingredients together first ensures that things like baking powder, baking soda, salt, or spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour, reducing the risk of encountering a bite that's overly salty or spiced. Then, by combining the wet ingredients separately, you can guarantee that things like sugar, eggs, or butter are well integrated.

Finally, when you slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, it helps to avoid overmixing. Overmixing can lead to a tougher end product due to the development of too much gluten. This methodical approach promises a batter that has an even, consistent flavor and texture, and a final product that's tender and delicious.

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Zucchini Bread

Yield: 8-12

Author: Candie Matthews

Zucchini Bread - With all the traditional ingredients you love, this bread is a perfect balance of familiar comfort and exciting new flavors. Easy to make and delicious to taste - it's a treat for any time of day!

Ingredients

• 3 Eggs
• ½ Cup Plain yogurt (organic & whole fat, if possible)
• ½ Cup Olive Oil
• 1 ¾ Cup Brown sugar
• 2 Cups Zucchini; shredded
• 2 Tsp Fresh rosemary; finely chopped
• Zest Of one orange
• Juice from the zested orange
• 3 Cups Flour (organic, unbleached bread flour - if possible)
• 1 Tsp Baking soda
• ½ Tsp Baking powder
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Cup Toasted pine nuts; finely chopped (Macademia nuts & pecans work as well), or you can skip the nuts entirely.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans & set them aside.
2. Prepare all of your ingredients. Shred the zucchini, toast & chop the nuts, zest & juice the orange & chop the rosemary.
3. In the larger bowl, beat the eggs. Mix in the yogurt, oil, and sugar. Then mix in the shredded zucchini, rosemary, orange zest & orange juice. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, set a fine mesh wire strainer on top of the bowl (if available). If you do not have a strainer, that’s ok. Measure out all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt) into the strainer and use the whisk to push everything into the bowl. This step is great because it aerates the flour, and keeps any clumps out of the batter.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Go slowly, in 3 batches, & make sure it is fully incorporated before adding more dry ingredients. Do not over-mix.
6. Once the batter is well combined, divide it evenly between the two loaf pans
7. Bake the loaves for 50 minutes, until a tester (I used a butter knife) inserted comes out clean. Can bake for an additional 5-10 min., if necessary.
8. Remove the loaves from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes inside the loaf pan before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. They also freeeze well, if you want to save some for later.