recipe #38: zucchini bread (yeast)

If we don't harvest the zucchinis for a few days, then we are in for a surprise. They are often hidden by the leaves, and when discovered, they can grow up 11-12pounds. Such a large squash would be very hard to cut, and we would even wonder if it is edible. But when we tasted it, it was still very fresh, tender and sweet.

We figured that it would make good bread. Not only does the bread taste better than expected, it is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Whether we eat this this way, grill it or use it in sandwiches, the zucchini is very useful.



Ingredients

1. 1 c. water or buttermilk
2. 1 tsp. sugar
3. 1 Tbsp. agave syrup
4. 2 Tbsp. oil
5. 1 1/2 c. zucchini, gratsw
6. 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
7. 3 c. bread flour
8. 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
9. 1 tsp. salt
10. 2 tsp. yeast
11. Red hot pepper (optional)

Directions

1. In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, stir together warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let yeast grow for a couple minutes; it will bubble almost immediately.
2. Add 2 1/2 c. bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt, agave syrup, oil and zucchini into the mixing bowl.
3. Mix on low speed (level 2) with a dough hook, add remaining 1/2 c. bread flour into the bowl, and keep kneading for about 10 minutes until dough pull away from the bowl.
4. Remove dough from bowl and knead until smooth.
5. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm spot for an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
6. Divide dough into two pieces. Shape them into loaves, and place in greased loaf pans. Let them rise again about 30 minutes.
7. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the tops of the bread are golden brown.
8. Let loaves cool in pans for few minutes, and put them on wire racks to cool completely.

Tips

1. If you have a bread machine, mix the ingredients according to the directions for the bread machine. Set it to basic.
2. If you want, you can add various types of seeds or grains. This adds a country style.
3. The reason for keeping 1/2 cups of flour is because the dough will be hard at first. But when the juices from the zucchinis are released, they will mix well with the dough. At this point, you can add additional flour to adjust the softness of the dough your liking. The recipe will not have exactly three cups of flour.
4. For the adventurous ones, you can replace the peppers with jalapenos; the bread would still taste pretty well.