Alton Brown Zucchini Bread Recipes

ZUCCHINI BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Combine sugars, oil, and eggs and mix. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to sugar/oil/egg mixture to moisten. Carefully fold in zucchini and nuts. Divide mixture into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 55 minutes or until done.

VERY BASIC BREAD

Steps:

• Combine 5 ounces of the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the yeast, all of the honey, and all of the bottled water in a straight-sided container; cover loosely and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
• Place the remaining 11 ounces of flour, remaining yeast, and all the salt into the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the pre-ferment from the refrigerator. Using the dough hook attachment, knead the mixture on low for 2 to 3 minutes just until it comes together. Cover the dough in the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, knead the dough on medium speed for 5 to 10 minutes or until you are able to gently pull the dough into a thin sheet that light will pass through. The dough will be sticky, but not so sticky that you can't handle it.
• While the dough is kneading, pour half of the hot water into a shallow pan and place on the bottom rack of your oven.
• Grease the inside of a large straight-sided container with the vegetable oil. Place the dough ball into the container and set on the rack above the pan of water. Allow to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 2 hours.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a counter top, lightly dust your hands with flour, and press the dough out with your knuckles; then fold 1 side in towards the middle of the mass and then the other, as if you were making a tri-fold wallet. Repeat the folding a second time. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for another 10 minutes.
• Flatten dough again with your knuckles and then fold the dough in onto itself, like you are shaping something that looks like a jellyfish. Turn the dough over and squeeze the bottom together so that the top surface of the dough is smooth. Place the dough back onto the counter and begin to roll gently between your hands. Do not grab the dough but allow it to move gently back and forth between your hands, moving in a circular motion. Move the dough ball to a pizza peel or the bottom of a sheet pan that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal. Cover with the kitchen towel and allow to bench proof for 1 hour, or until you poke the dough and it quickly fills back in where you poked it.
• Place an unglazed terra cotta dish upside down into the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the 1/3 cup of water and the cornstarch in a small bowl. Uncover the dough and brush the surface with this mixture. Gently slash the top surface of the dough ball in several places, approximately 1/3 to 1/2-inch deep. Add more of the hot water to the shallow pan if it has evaporated. Slide the bread onto the terra cotta dish in the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Once the bread has reached an internal temperature of 205 to 210 degrees F, remove to a cooling rack and allow to sit for 30 minutes before slicing.

ZUCCHINI BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Grease 8 1/2- by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and line with a 7- by 13-inch sheet of parchment paper so that parchment hangs over the long sides of the pan forming a sling. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F (177°C).
• Place grated zucchini in a colander and press against the sides to extract liquid, or wrap in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze to remove excess liquid. You should end up with about 6 1/2 ounces (1 1/2 cups; 185g) drained zucchini. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, coriander, and nutmeg until well combined.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, butter, and vanilla until thoroughly combined and sugars are dissolved.
• Add flour mixture to egg mixture. Using a flexible spatula, mix just until just incorporated, and no dry flour remains. Fold in zucchini and walnuts (or pecans, dried fruit, or chocolate chips), if using.
• Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Run a butter knife along edges to loosen, then lift loaf using overhanging parchment and transfer to a cutting board. Slice with a serrated knife and serve.

BROWN SUGAR-ZUCCHINI BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
• Stir the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. When cominbed, mix in the oats. Make a well in the center of the ingredients. Whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla together in a small bowl and pour the mixture into the well. Combine lightly, then stir in the zucchini. Do not overmix.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, mounding it up in the center. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar if you wish. Bake for 60 or 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack covered with a clean dish towel to prevent indentations. Let the bread cool at least 10 minutes longer before slicing. The bread can be served warm or at room temperature. It keeps well and makes good toast, too.

CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI BREAD

Steps:

• Adjust rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Whisk together the butter, oil, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl. Fold in the zucchini.
• Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Gently stir the zucchini mixture in to the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Coat an 8 1/2-inch-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with cooking spray then spoon the batter into the pan, smoothing out the top with the back of a spoon.
• Bake, rotating about halfway through, until puffed and golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes.
• Cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack.