Studded Zucchini Yeast Bread (A #BreadBakers Summer Bounty Recipe)

It's prime zucchini weather here. I don't know why I'm still surprised that we're pulling behemoth Summer squashes out of the garden every other afternoon, since in the past 5 years there were only two Summers that yielded a less-than-robust harvest. One thing's for sure, though, and that's the fact that once again, we're putting zucchini into almost everything we can think of - alongside the "usual" zucchini bread, I've thrown it into soups, stir fries, tomato sauces and brownies, tossed it on the grill for a side dish and even sliced it into sticks for crudite platters. Last year I shredded and froze a ton of  the squash into 1-cup "zucchini pucks" for baking with, and even then I wound up dehydrating some for pantry storage... we were running out of freezer space!

I was excited to find a "zucchini bread" from Green Gourmet Giraffe that not only used up a good amount of the vegetable but wasn't a sweet quickbread. Since I'm baking loaves for Mom most weeks anyway, this one made it into rotation and has been her (very vocalized!) favourite of the most recent few. The zucchini does what it does best in baking, disappearing without leaving any trace of flavour but lending a moisture and tenderness to the crumb. The trail mix peppers the dough with bits of crunch and a light sweetness, and the combination makes slices great for French toast in the morning or supporting a roasted chicken or turkey sandwich for lunch. Of course, smearing your favourite Toast Topper on a slice is always a delicious and quick option - especially if it's over peanut butter!

The #BreadBakers are serving up the best of Summer's bounty this time around!

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

• Almond and Carrot Biscuits from Basic N Delicious
• Cheddar Mielie Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes from Food Lust People Love
• Cherry Bread Pudding from Bakers and Best
• Eggless Rosemary Garlic Dinner Rolls from Spill the Spices
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• Pizza Cipolla - Onion Pizza from Karen's Kitchen Stories
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• Rosemary Breadsticks from A Baker's House
• Spinach Semolina Bread from The Schizo Chef
• Studded Zucchini Yeast Bread from What Smells So Good?
• Sundried Tomato Focaccia with Sauteed Summer Veggies & Garden Salad from Sizzling Tastebuds
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• Wholewheat Onion, Spinach & Red Pepper Bread from Hostess At Heart
• Wholewheat Zucchini Bread from Cook's Hideout
• Zucchini Oatmeal Bread from Cali's Cuisine
• Zucchini/Jalapeño/Cheese Corn Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Studded Zucchini Yeast Bread
Makes 1 loaf, 16 slices

2 ½ tsp instant yeast

2 tbsp maple sugar or brown sugar

1 cup flour

2 ¼ - 2 ½ cups whole wheat bread flour

1 ⅓ cups warm unsweetened milk alternative (I used almond)

350 g zucchini, grated and squeezed of excess water (about 2 cups before draining)

½ cup trail mix (mine was called “Cranberry Classic” and had dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and golden raisins - use your favourite, preferably with both fruit and nuts/seeds)

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine yeast, sugar, flours, milk and zucchini. Mix for 2 minutes, then cover and let rest 10 minutes.
2. Add cranberries, salt and coconut oil and knead for 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
3. Cover and let rest 45 minutes.
4. Punch down the dough and shape into a log. Place in a greased loaf pan and re-cover.
5. Let rest until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
6. During the second rise, preheat oven to 430F.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, then tent with foil and bake 20 minutes more, until dark golden and hollow sounding when tapped.
8. Turn out immediately and cool on a rack.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 143.5
Total Fat: 4.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 308.1 mg
Total Carbs: 23.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.0 g
Protein: 4.5 g