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Zucchini bread

17/11/2023

While Zucchini Bread is not a traditional Italian dish, I can still provide you with a basic recipe that you could enrich with an Italian touch, perhaps by adding organic lemon zest or chopped hazelnuts for a unique flavor.

Here is the recipe for Zucchini Bread:

Ingredients

  • 2 medium zucchinis
  • 3 eggs
  • 250g of sugar
  • 240ml of vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 375g of flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (optional)
  • 100g of chopped walnuts or hazelnuts (optional)
  • Grated zest of one lemon (optional)

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 175 °C and grease and flour a loaf pan.
  2. Wash and grate the zucchinis, then squeeze them to remove the excess liquid.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla until the mixture is homogeneous.
  4. Add the grated zucchinis to the egg mixture and mix well.
  5. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix well until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
  7. If you decide to use them, add the chopped nuts/hazelnuts and grated lemon zest and mix to distribute evenly in the batter.
  8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level it with a spatula.
  9. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
  10. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then transfer it to a rack to cool completely.

Curiosity

Zucchini Bread is a classic example of American “quick bread”, a type of bread that does not require fermentation thanks to the use of leavening agents such as baking soda or baking powder. Its popularity grew in the United States in the 60s and 70s, as a way to use the abundance of zucchinis during the summer.

Happy baking, and don’t hesitate to personalize the recipe with that Italian touch that could transform a simple Zucchini Bread into a true local delight!

Zucchini bread