10 Essentials for Making Zucchini Bread

One of the fabulous foods of summer is zucchini bread made with fresh zucchini. It’s a fabulous way to use up all that extra zucchini – and is a total crowd pleaser. 

But how do you make a great loaf? These tips can help. 

1. Don’t peel the zucchini – Yes, it’s tempting to remove the zucchini’s skin, but there is no need to do that. Zucchini melts into the bread, so peeling is just an unnecessary step. 
2. Do grate the zucchini – I don’t know about you, but when it comes to zucchini in bread, I want it there – but I don’t want to see it. Grating it makes that happen. The pieces are small and melt into the bread giving it that moist texture. 
3. Don’t stress the flour – If you love whole wheat flour, go for it! Otherwise all-purpose flour works just fine. 
4. Do use the best ingredients you can – You’ve probably heard this before but if you want to make something great, then you need to start with great ingredients. So the freshest zucchini (think local!) and other great ingredients are a must. 
5. Don’t use gigantic zucchini – Those super big zucchini are all wrong for zucchini bread. They won’t produce the moist, tender loaf you want since they tend to be drier. 
6. Do be open-minded – If you’ve been reading this thinking you’ll hate it because it has zucchini, give it a chance. It doesn’t taste like a mushy vegetable! Really. I never thought I would like zucchini bread, since it's made with zucchini. But then I discovered how amazing it is. 
7. Don’t overmix the ingredients – Zucchini bread is a quick bread, which means it doesn’t need time to rise since it doesn’t use yeast. However, if you want a moist, light, fluffy loaf then you don’t want to make the gluten get all crazy (which it will if you mix it a lot). Instead, just barely stir until moistened. 
8. Do use your favorite spices – Zucchini bread is all about the seasonings. Love cinnamon and nutmeg? Go crazy with it! Or find another combination that works for you. 
9. Don’t leave the loaf in the pan too long – Once you remove the bread from the oven, let it sit for 10 to15 minutes. But after that, it should be turned out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. Otherwise, the edges can get a little too done in the still-hot pan. 
10. Do let the loaf cool completely before cutting – For best results, it’s always best to let this quick bread cool completely before you try to slice it.