Zucchini Bread Recipe: 4 Tips for Making Zucchini Bread
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 29, 2023 • 3 min read
An abundance of emerald green zucchini squash means one thing: Zucchini bread. The simple quickbread is a customizable treat that the whole family can enjoy.
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What Is Zucchini Bread?
Zucchini bread is a quick bread consisting of zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. The popular bread is made with a leavener, such as baking soda or baking powder, instead of yeast, which is responsible for its rise, while the shredded raw zucchini imparts a moist, rich texture. Zucchini bread has a mild flavor that can be adjusted for either sweet or savory palates, like its quick bread counterparts, pumpkin bread and banana bread. You can enjoy zucchini bread for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea or as a dessert option with a dollop of whipped cream.
6 Tips for Making Zucchini Bread
Zucchini bread is a crowd-pleasing food with a flexible format that can accommodate a few tweaks. If it’s your first time making zucchini bread, check out the following tips:
- 1. Squeeze excess liquid from the zucchini. Zucchini squash has a high water content, which can adversely affect the baking process. To prevent the excess water from affecting the moisture level of your bread, press the shredded zucchini beforehand with a cheesecloth, a tea towel, mesh sieve, or colander.
- 2. Avoid overmixing. Overmixing quick bread batter will result in a stodgy, dense loaf. For a pillowy, moist cake-like crumb, mix the bread batter just until combined.
- 3. Make single portions. Divide zucchini bread batter into personal portions using a cupcake tin to make zucchini muffins or mini loaves in mini loaf pans. Learn about the different types of baking pans and how to build a stocked home bakery. Remember to adjust the baking time to account for a faster bake.
- 4. Get creative with add-ins. Zucchini bread is a fantastic template for all kinds of unique additions. To make chocolate zucchini bread, fold in ½ cup chocolate chips, or add a touch of tang with dried cranberries.
- 5. Add a layer of frosting. Add a layer of cream cheese frosting to make your zucchini bread more dessert-friendly, or make a heartier loaf by adding walnuts or pecans and substituting ¼ cup whole-wheat flour.
- 6. Add spices. Channel a classic spice bread by adding warm spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove. Substitute almond flour or a gluten-free flour blend of choice to make gluten-free zucchini bread.
Zucchini Bread Recipe
makes
1 9-inch loafprep time
10 mintotal time
1 hr 10 mincook time
60 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a nonstick 9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over the sides.
- 2
Grate the zucchini, either with a food processor or by using a box grater over a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze out the excess water, and set it aside.
- 3
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, vanilla extract, and both sugars.
- 4
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- 5
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the grated zucchini and fold, just until combined.
- 6
Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 60 minutes. (The high moisture content of this bread necessitates a slightly longer baking time.)
- 7
Let the zucchini bread cool slightly before turning it out to cool completely on a wire rack.
- 8
You can wrap zucchini bread in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for a week.
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