Bread Matters’ Zucchini Loaf

This recipe was devised by Andrew to make something delicious from the glut of courgettes we often have in the summer. Each loaf (we have decided not to call it ‘bread’ as it is raised with baking powder and is really a cake) takes only 150g of courgette; so it isn’t a solution to all the excess produce - or a way of sneaking courgette into the diet of resistant family members. 

Most vegetable gardeners have a story about over-production. My favourite comes from a baking friend Angus who told us that, in the part of rural Canada he comes from, the only time his neighbours ever lock their cars is during the zuchini glut. They never worry that anyone will steal belongings from their parked car or pickup, but they won’t run the risk of finding a generous truck-load of courgettes stowed in it when they return. 

  

Last year we produced even more green tomatoes than even I can serve fried in breadcrumbs, so we substituted them, very successfully, for the zuchini. Whichever moist green vegetable you choose, the cake will be delicious on its own, good with cheese and freeze well. 

Here’s the recipe, in the usual industrial quantities: 

Zucchini Loaf

Ingredients grams grams

Egg 800 400

Olive Oil 400 200

Raw Cane Sugar 800 400

Courgette (grated) 1200          600

Flour (Light Rye) 1200 600

Baking Powder 45 25

Cardamom (ground) 90 45

Salt 20 10

Raisins 500 250

Walnuts 500 250

Total weight 5555 2780

Yield  @ 660g 8 4

Method

Beat the egg and sugar together until slightly fluffy. Then drizzle in the oil allowing the mixture to absorb some before adding more. The mix will be fairly liquid but should be smooth and a little aerated.  Add the grated courgette and stir briefly.  Sift together the dry ingredients and add them to the mix.  Finally, add the raisins and walnuts and mix until everything is well-distributed.   

Deposit into greased and floured baking tins (or non-stick ones). The mix should come between half way and two-thirds of the way up the sides of the tin. Put immediately into an oven pre-heated to about 190 °C/375°F. Baking will take about 30 minutes. If the top is taking too much colour before the middle of the loaf is done (as tested with a skewer), cover it with a sheet of silicone paper or similar.

Notes:

The recipe includes salt because, unlike most baking fats (butter, margarine etc) oil doesn’t come with added salt. You can, of course, leave it out but you may feel that the flavour of the finished loaf ‘lacks something’.

660 g fits into the same size tin as we use for Borodinsky bread, which is equivalent to a fairly large ‘one pound’ bread tin. You will need to adjust the quantity per loaf if using different sized tins.