How to Make Zucchini Bread

Why Zucchini Bread?
It's delicious! On top of that - if you have planted zucchini you will certainly have an abundance of zucchini!

Breakmaking
My approach to breadmaking isn't based on a recipe. This instructable builds on my more detailed reviews of the process. Here I focus on how to proof and a damp bread that has ingredients with a high moisture content.

Here are my earlier instructables that are put together to help make breadmaking less intimidating.

• Art of Breadmaking - bread making principles to help see it as more art than science
• Homemade Buns - a variation to see how simple it is to incorporate any ingredients
• Crackers - really want to avoid yeast... here's how to get started today

The Goal. My approach is to remove hurdles and make the process less intimidating. See the next step for how simple it can be. The trick is to start playing with dough and see your bread improve over the first few loaves.

Dough Basics

Much of the basics for starting this dough come from my initial break making post. Here are the ingredients and how I incorporate them.

Mixer or Bowl

Either way... incorporate the following ingredients in order

1. Zucchini (1 whole or any amount)
2. Water - cover... really add any amount over 1 cup
3. Milk - optional... I added about 1/2 cup
4. Salt, Spices (oregano, basil, red pepper flakes... anything you like to eat)
5. Grains - (chia seeds and golden flax went into mine... again, anything)
6. Flour - add until your dough is the 'right' consistency.
7. Yeast - about halfway into adding flour sprinkle dry yeast directly into the dough. --yes, i'm done with proofing yeast

How to get dough to the 'right' consistency? You'll need to work the dough and keep everything floured along the way. Tips are provided in earlier posts.

For this bread I added about 2x the amount of yeast I typically include. I never know exactly how much but I'd say about a solid 1-1/2 teaspoons. I had just started a new package of yeast and was looking or a quick rise.

See in the photos how the doubled dough started fairly stringy before forming back into a ball.

From a dough ball I use a sharp knife to separate the dough.

The well floured dough goes straight into the baking pan. I rolled the dough in cornmeal and applied a generous amount across the pan's surface.

Using a Dutch Oven

The reason to use a dutch oven or enamel pan is that it creates a divide between your dough and the larger oven. This separate space heats up slower. It allows the whole dough to come to temp more gradually which makes for a rise that develops more thoroughly. Basically the bread is bigger and lighter.

Any blade that is incredibly sharp works. In the past I've used new olfa blades in an L1. Now I'm using a surgical scalpel. My goal is to use anything that helps me avoid buying a specialty bread razor.

Most Zucchini Breads I see online are dense. Often they are made without yeast.
The goal here is to help remove hurdles and make bread making more accessible.

Hope this helps you either get started or see bread making as less intimidating.

Thanks for reading! Jeff

Here are a few recent instructables:

• Black Bean Sauce - making Chinese black bean sauce is simple if you know to use fermented black beans
• Trail Tea - how making tea on the trail keeps your pack light and makes for a great experience
• Perfect Pie - how to manage moisture content to make a perfect pie

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