Dave: Hey Jen. Wanna trade lunches?
Jen: No way man. I got each of the four food groups [pop my lunchbox: sandwich, milk, banana and a piece of zucchini bread] Sandwich group, cow group, jungle group, zucchini bread group.
Dave: Hey, there’s no Zucchini Bread group.
Jen: Oh contraire, mon frère. The Zucchini Bread group provides a sugar crunch and healthy green zucchini makes the world’s softest bread — essential for survival.
Dave: I don’t have the Zucchini Bread group.
Jen: Looks like you could die of malnutrition, dude.
Zucchini Bread, for the survival of mankind.
In Glowing Glory
While in high school and college, I waited tables and bartended. With each restaurant, I had ’round the lake favorites: Irish Potatoes at Jason’s, pizza at Lakeview, the Humongous Fungus at Crawdaddy’s and at Rosie’s, zucchini bread.
Their bread is pillow soft but keeps shape when forked or pulled in pieces. The zucchini fresh, pronounced, while remaining ingredients join in the sacred event, we call bread.
I haven’t had a piece since working twenty-two years ago but drive by a few times a week. I often wonder if the same love lingers?
Has your palate changed? Have you changed over the years (or year) for the matter? They say every cell in our body changes every seven years but my palate, over the years, year, day — I change constantly. As for Rosie’s and their bread, I’ll let the memory remain, untarnished.
And create new to now buds.
The Making
Making this bread is simple but a couple things to note. As standard, divide dry ingredients in one bowl and wet into another. By hand or with an electric mixer, the choice is yours. I start with electric — adding butter, applesauce and sugar; whirl into an oblivion. If you prefer a full cube of butter, omit the applesauce and go for it. Dark brown sugar adds depth while coconut sugar halves the blood sugar spike of its granulated and brown counterparts. If wondering, coconut sugar doesn’t leave hints of coconut taste either.
After an electric whirl, I then switch to hand when adding flour. As for kinds of flour, I found a sweet spot in the combination of half white whole wheat and whole wheat (fine milled). The bread is super moist and holds shape when cut. Nutritional value a plus! I also made with half white whole wheat and whole wheat pastry; the bread was extra moist, like I literally poured moisture into the mixing bowl, which many loved as well but I found a bit spongey in the middle. I haven’t made the bread with all-purpose flour but tried with a similar loaf on the site; the bread wasn’t quite as tender, but mighty good in its own right.
Have you heard of or do you already use a dough whisk? I especially l.o.v.e using when making breads.
Flavor & Spice Makes Zucchini Bread Extra Nice
The recipe includes one tablespoon vanilla and 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg. The amounts or spice can be changed but promise, the bread is “no crumb left behind” good as is.
Zucchini Math
3 medium zucchini = 2 cups zucchini, packed
To Wring or Not to Wring
(Question of the Day)
Zucchini ages with time, so…
For dry zucchini — no need to wring.
If zucchini is marginally wet — a decent pat should do ya.
For the sopping variety — squeeze (not maniacally) maybe 70%.
I hope this helps.
Dave likes warmed with cream cheese. I prefer cold and plain or with butter.
How do you take your slice?
Interested in other favorite breads?
Pear Almond Bread with Coconut & Walnuts
100% Whole Grain Zucchini Bread
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour - fine mill
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder ( sea level - 1 teaspoon)
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon baking soda (sea leevel - 1/2 teaspoon)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup or 4 Tablespoons salted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsweeted applesauce
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk - or any kind of milk
- 2 cups or 3 medium zucchini, large hole shredded - see "squeeze" notes
- pecans or walnuts, coarse chopped (optional)
Topping
- 1 Tablespoon turbinado sugar
- 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk together flour(s), baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- Add butter, applesauce and both sugars to a medium bowl. With a hand or stand mixer, beat on medium to medium-high until light and fluffy, about two to three minutes. Scrape sides along the way. Turn the mixer to low; add eggs and extract, then mix until just incorporated.
- Add milk and zucchini, then spatula stir until combined. By hand, add flour in 3-4 increments, incorporating after each. Fold nuts, if using (careful to over mix). Sweep the bottom of the bowl, making sure flour isn't hiding.
- The batter will be thick. Spatula into the prepared pan, then even with an offset spatula and sprinkle with sugar/spice/additional nuts. On a folded dishtowel, tap the loaf pan down a couple times to distribute the batter further.
- Bake on the center rack for 50-60 minutes.Because ovens vary, begin checking around 45 minutes. Bake until the bread is set and a center inserted toothpick comes out clean or with few crumbs. It's better for the bread to be underdone and able to continue baking on the counter, then overdone.
- Remove pan from the oven and let stand on the cooktop for 10 minutes, then remove (with parchment attached), transferring to a wire rack.
- Warm or cool, this bread. <--- That's a period ; )
Notes
- I haven't tried with all-purpose flour but it can be used.
- Our zucchini was super wet, so I squeezed two worth about 70% and left the third zucchini fairly wet. Zucchini dries with age, so if there isn't much moisture, there's no need to wring.
- For crunchy on the out and soft on the in, leave bread on a rack loose tented with foil. For soft inside and out, store airtight.
- If nutmeg isn't a favorite—cinnamon, clove, or no spice at all is good too.
