Classic Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- 3-½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1-¼ tsp. baking powder
- 1-¼ tsp. baking soda
- 4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup canola oil
- 3 medium zucchinis, unpeeled and grated on a box grater
- 4 tbsp. demerara or turbinado sugar, optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F; lightly grease 2 8-inch x 4-inch loaf pans with softened butter and line with parchment paper.
- In a small pot, over medium heat, melt butter; cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter starts to brown and smell like hazelnuts; 5 to 7 minutes; use a whisk to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot; remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, light brown sugar, sugar and canola oil until no lumps remain and eggs are well blended.
- Using your hands, squeeze out as much water as possible from the zucchini; add zucchini and browned butter to the egg mixture; whisk to blend.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients; use a spatula to slowly incorporate until no dry spots remain.
- Divide batter among prepared pans, smoothing the top.
- Sprinkle both with demerara sugar, if using, and place in the pre-heated oven.
- Bake, rotating once, until bread is golden brown on top, pulls away from the sides and springs back lightly when pressed at the top; 50 to 60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely, on a wire rack, before removing from the loaf pan.
Notes
As an alternative to 2 loaf pans, there will be enough batter for 12 regular sized muffins or 24 mini muffins (lightly grease all muffin wells with softened butter). Bake the mini muffins for 14 minutes at 350°F and the regular sized muffins for about 22 minutes at 350°F. The muffins will have a nice crown, nice crumb, nice color and excellent flavor.
