Zucchini bread

American spiced quick bread with grated zucchini, cinnamon and walnuts

Origin: Eastern United States

From the journey of Zucchini.

Zucchini bread is one of the great inventions of American home baking; and it was born of necessity. Italian immigrants who brought zucchini to the northeastern United States in the early twentieth century discovered what every gardener discovers: a single zucchini plant can produce more fruit than a household can eat in a season. The problem of the July and August surplus; zucchini left on neighbours' doorsteps anonymously under cover of darkness, a cultural phenomenon specific to North America, demanded creative solutions. Someone, at some point in the mid-twentieth century, worked out that grated zucchini added to quick bread batter produces an extraordinarily moist loaf: the vegetable's water content steams the bread from within during baking while its bulk adds structure, and its flavour is mild enough to be undetectable beneath cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and brown sugar. The result is neither vegetable dish nor standard sweet loaf but something entirely its own; dense, fragrant, improbably moist, and slightly spiced in the way of American quick breads. Zucchini bread spread through the recipe boxes of American home cooks in the 1970s and became a fixture of summer potlucks, church bake sales, and neighbourhood exchanges: the definitive answer to the zucchini surplus, and one of those deeply satisfying baked goods that are somehow better on the second day than the first.

Ingredients

Main

300 g zucchini (about 2 medium), coarsely grated

Dry

225 g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
0.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
0.5 tsp fine salt

Wet

2 eggs
200 g light brown sugar, packed
120 ml vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add-ins

100 g walnuts, roughly chopped

Topping

2 tbsp demerara sugar, for topping

Method

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin well and line the base with a strip of baking paper. Grate the zucchini coarsely. Do not squeeze or drain it; the moisture is what makes the bread moist. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in the centre.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the brown sugar until well combined and slightly lightened in colour. Whisk in the vegetable oil and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together with a spatula until just combined; some streaks of flour remaining is fine. Add the grated zucchini (with all its moisture) and the walnuts and fold in until distributed. Do not over-mix; over-mixing develops gluten and produces a tough, dense loaf.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Smooth the top with a spatula and scatter the demerara sugar over the surface for a crunchy top crust. Bake for 50–60 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are fine; wet batter is not). The loaf should be golden-brown and pulling away slightly from the sides of the tin.

Notes

Zucchini bread keeps exceptionally well; it is genuinely better on day two, as the moisture from the zucchini continues to redistribute through the crumb overnight. Wrap tightly in cling film once cooled and store at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. For variations: add 50g dark chocolate chips with the walnuts; substitute half the flour with wholemeal flour for a more robust loaf; add the zest of one lemon for brightness. Yellow summer squash can be substituted for the zucchini with identical results.

The Gastrographer

Name: Zucchini bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Eastern United States
Ingredients: 300 g zucchini (about 2 medium), coarsely grated; 225 g plain flour; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 0.5 tsp baking powder; 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg; 0.5 tsp fine salt; 2 eggs; 200 g light brown sugar, packed; 120 ml vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 100 g walnuts, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp demerara sugar, for topping

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control