About This Recipe

Zucchini bread, known as courgette bread in British English, is the vegetable quick bread that most successfully conceals its wholesome ingredient behind genuinely excellent flavour and texture. The courgette provides moisture and a mild, neutral background that disappears entirely into the spiced batter, leaving behind a loaf that is softer, moister, and better-keeping than any comparable recipe made without the vegetable.

The courgette must be grated finely and the moisture content managed carefully. Freshly grated courgette contains significant water that, if unchecked, can make the batter too wet and produce an undercooked, gummy centre. After grating, the courgette should be placed in a clean tea towel and squeezed firmly to remove the excess liquid.

Cinnamon and nutmeg are the traditional spices for zucchini bread, their warm, slightly sweet character bridging the gap between the neutral vegetable flavour and the sweet batter. The amount of sugar in the recipe is deliberately higher than might be expected for a bread containing a vegetable, because the courgette requires sweetness around it to taste like a proper sweet quick bread rather than a savoury vegetable loaf.

History and Origins

Zucchini bread became popular in the United States in the 1970s during a period of increased interest in home vegetable gardening. Zucchini plants are notoriously prolific producers and home gardeners regularly found themselves with far more courgettes than they could eat in savoury dishes. The quick bread format provided a practical and delicious solution.

Zucchini Bread

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: Bread

Servings

5

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

55

minutes

Calories

2400

kcal

Ingredients

• •t2 medium courgettes grated about 300g after squeezing

• •t200g white sugar

• •t100g brown sugar

• •t120ml neutral oil

• •t3 large eggs

• •t1 tsp vanilla extract

• •t280g plain flour

• •t1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• •t0.5 tsp baking powder

• •t2 tsp cinnamon

• •t0.5 tsp nutmeg

• •t0.5 tsp salt

Directions

• Grate courgettes on a box grater. Squeeze firmly in a clean towel to remove excess moisture.
• Preheat oven to 175C. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin.
• Whisk both sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla together.
• Add squeezed courgette. Mix.
• Add flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Fold until just combined.
• Pour into prepared tin.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool in tin 10 minutes then turn out.
• Grate courgettes on a box grater. Squeeze firmly in a clean towel to remove excess moisture.
• Preheat oven to 175C. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin.
• Whisk both sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla together.
• Add squeezed courgette. Mix.
• Add flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Fold until just combined.
• Pour into prepared tin.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool in tin 10 minutes then turn out.

Notes

• Squeeze the grated courgette very firmly in a clean tea towel. Grip it tightly and wring it over the sink until no more liquid drips out. This is the most important step. Excess moisture left in the courgette produces a gummy, undercooked centre that no amount of extra baking time will fix.
  The visible green flecks from the courgette skin in the finished loaf are correct, attractive, and one of the visual identifiers of this bread. Do not peel the courgette before grating.
  This loaf is significantly better on day two than day one. The cinnamon and nutmeg flavours deepen and mellow overnight and the crumb becomes more cohesive. Wrap it and resist cutting for 24 hours if you can.
  A crack along the top of the loaf is entirely normal and desirable. It is a sign that the loaf rose properly during baking.
  Test doneness with a skewer inserted in the very centre of the loaf. Moist crumbs on the skewer are fine. Wet batter means the loaf needs more time.
  If the top is browning too quickly before the centre is cooked tent with foil for the final 15 to 20 minutes of baking.
  The loaf may look done on the outside before the inside is fully cooked. The high moisture content from the courgette means this bread takes longer than most quick breads to cook all the way through.

Make Ahead Tips

This loaf improves over 24 to 48 hours. Bake up to 3 days ahead. Keeps wrapped at room temperature for 4 days.

Storage and Serving

Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate for 5 days. The courgette keeps this bread moist far longer than most quick breads. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Variations and Substitutions

Add 100g of dark chocolate chips for a chocolate zucchini bread that is one of the most popular variations. Add 80g of toasted walnuts or pecans for a nutty version. Replace cinnamon and nutmeg with lemon zest for a completely different citrus-forward flavour profile. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder for a chocolate zucchini loaf without chips. Replace some of the plain flour with whole wheat flour for a more wholesome, nuttier version. Add a teaspoon of cardamom alongside the cinnamon for a more exotic, warmly spiced result. Make individual zucchini muffins from the same batter at 190C for 20 to 22 minutes for faster, portable portions.