Description
Zucchini cheddar quick bread brings together hearty garden vegetables and sharp cheese in a delightful loaf. Rustic southern comfort meets fresh ingredients, creating a satisfying slice perfect for sharing with friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) zucchini, grated (about 1 medium zucchini)
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk (2% recommended, but whole or non-fat works too)
- 1 tbsp vinegar (white or apple cider)
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsps (45 ml) butter, melted
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, ensuring complete coverage for effortless removal.
- Zucchini Preparation: Grate zucchini and compress using a clean kitchen towel, extracting maximum moisture to prevent soggy bread texture.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl, creating a uniform dry foundation for the bread.
- Wet Ingredient Fusion: Combine buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs in a separate bowl, whisking until smooth and fully incorporated, creating a rich liquid base.
- Batter Assembly: Gently fold wet ingredients into dry components, using minimal strokes to maintain a tender crumb structure, stopping when just combined.
- Flavor Enhancement: Fold in shredded zucchini, sharp cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions, distributing ingredients evenly throughout the batter.
- Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula, and bake for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cooling and Serving: Allow bread to rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Squeeze Zucchini Thoroughly: Remove maximum moisture by wringing out shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel to prevent soggy bread texture and ensure crisp, well-structured results.
- Gentle Mixing Technique: Fold ingredients with minimal stirring to maintain a tender, light crumb structure, avoiding overmixing which can create dense, tough quick bread.
- Cheese Distribution Trick: Lightly coat cheddar cheese fragments with flour before adding to batter to prevent sinking and ensure even cheese spread throughout the bread.
- Temperature Precision: Allow ingredients to reach room temperature before mixing, which helps create smoother batter and more consistent baking performance, especially with dairy components.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 195
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 290 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg