Post-Holiday Zucchini Bread

During the holidays, I can be found working long hours at the bakery I manage, as well as baking treats for my co-workers and family members.

After the holidays I'm sick of peppermint, my cookie craving has been satiated, and while a slice of pie typically sounds like a great idea, the thing I want most on a cold, January day is a slice of warm, buttery quick bread.

Quick bread is aptly named. It's baked in the shape of a loaf of bread, but instead of using yeast as a leavener, you use eggs, baking powder and baking soda. It's much quicker and easier to make than a normal loaf of sandwich bread, and it's more of a breakfast item than a lunchtime staple. Either way, you and your family are going to love this bread! My favorite part about this recipe is that the zucchini can also be substituted for apples, bananas, carrots, or any other quick bread add-in that you find online. It's super versatile. Here we go!

This recipe is weighed out in grams, so you will need a scale to make sure everything is measured properly. You can get one for very cheap on Amazon, or also at your local Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Zucchini Quick Bread

Yields : 2 Loaves

460g Zucchini (one large squash, usually), Grated

30g Honey

4 Eggs

270g Vegetable Oil

520g Sugar

18g Vanilla Extract

12g Salt

432g All Purpose Flour

6g Baking Soda

6g Baking Powder

8g Cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350F (325F if you have a convection oven).

Whisk together last four dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, honey, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Add grated zucchini to wet ingredients and fold in until mixed completed.

Add wet ingredients to dry, then scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure proper mixing. Once everything is totally combined, divide your batter between two greased loaf pans. To keep your loaf from sticking to the bottom of your pan, you should cut a piece of parchment paper in a strip, so that just covers the bottom. It's also easier to get the finished bread out of the pan once it's cooler if you have followed this initial step!

Baked at 350 for 50-60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the loaf comes out clean and dry. Remove the loaves from the oven and set them on a rack. Allow them to cool for 20 minutes, then carefully remove them from the loaf pans. Once entirely cool, wrap in plastic wrap to keep them fresh for as long as possible!

Enjoy fresh out of the oven, slathered with butter and sprinkled with a bit of salt for best results. Happy munching!