Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Produce
- 250 g zucchini, coarsely grated and gently drained
- 5 g orange zest, finely grated
Dry Ingredients
- 240 g whole-wheat flour, dry
- 4 g baking powder
- 3 g baking soda
- 3 g ground cardamom
- 4 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 180 ml maple syrup, room temperature
- 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 60 ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 egg, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 234 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 35 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 309 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 232 mg
- Calcium
- 75 mg
- Iron
- 1.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 45 mg
- Phosphorus
- 130 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 19 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Water
- 48 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack positioned in the middle, grease a 21x11 cm (8.5x4.5 inch) loaf pan, and line it with parchment paper leaving a 5 cm overhang along the long sides.
Finely zest the washed orange using a microplane zester until you collect 5 grams of fragrant zest without grating the bitter white pith.
Trim the stem ends from the zucchini and grate the whole unpeeled squash coarsely using a box grater.
Place the grated zucchini into the center of a clean kitchen towel and press gently over the sink to release free-flowing liquid until exactly 250 grams of drained zucchini remains.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cardamom, and fine sea salt until uniform.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, extra-virgin olive oil, buttermilk, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla extract until emulsified and glossy.
Pour the wet emulsion into the large mixing bowl containing the dry ingredients and fold gently using a silicone spatula just until flour pockets disappear.
Add the drained grated zucchini to the batter and fold gently with the silicone spatula until the shreds are evenly distributed.
Scrape the batter into the prepared parchment-lined loaf pan using the silicone spatula and smooth the surface gently toward the edges.
Transfer the pan to the center oven rack and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 50 to 55 minutes until the loaf is deeply golden, crowned with a center split, and an instant-read digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 93°C to 96°C (200°F to 205°F).
Remove the loaf from the oven and rest the pan on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes to allow the interior structure to stabilize.
Grasp the parchment overhang, lift the bread out of the metal loaf pan, and place it directly onto the wire cooling rack to cool completely for 1 hour before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- Whole-wheat flour contains bran and germ that absorb moisture more slowly than white flour; allowing the blended wet ingredients to hydrate the flour during a gentle fold produces a tender, crumbly texture.
- Cultured buttermilk provides natural acidity that reacts vigorously with the baking soda, creating immediate carbon dioxide lift to aerate the relatively heavy whole-wheat crumb.
- Pairing fragrant cardamom with fresh orange zest creates complex terpene and citrus notes that cut through the richness of extra-virgin olive oil and pure maple syrup.
- Like most oil-based quick breads, this loaf tastes noticeably richer and more aromatic on the second day after the natural humectants in the zucchini and maple syrup equalize throughout the crumb.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store wrapped tightly in parchment and sealed in an airtight container.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze pre-sliced portions separated by parchment paper in a freezer-safe sealed container.
Reheating: Warm individual slices in a toaster oven or preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) for 5 to 8 minutes, or toast lightly in a dry skillet over low heat until heated through.
Troubleshooting
Bread sinks in the center and yields a gummy, soggy interior
Cause: Excess water retained in the grated zucchini or underbaking in the middle
Fix: Cannot be fixed once fully cooled; if still hot in the oven, tent with foil and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes
Prevention: Press the grated zucchini to remove excess liquid before weighing, and confirm an internal temperature of at least 93°C (200°F) with a digital thermometer
Crumb is tough, dense, and fails to rise properly
Cause: Overmixing the wet and dry ingredients, which develops tight gluten strands in whole-wheat flour
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Fold batter with a gentle hand using a spatula only until the dry flour pockets are just incorporated
Exterior crust browns excessively while the center remains wet
Cause: Maple syrup sugars caramelizing rapidly near high radiant heat, or oven thermostat running hot
Fix: Tent immediately with foil and reduce oven heat by 10°C (20°F) until interior reaches 93°C (200°F)
Prevention: Tent aluminum foil loosely over the loaf after 35 minutes of baking, and verify oven accuracy with an oven thermometer
Cultural Context
Zucchini bread gained widespread popularity in mid-twentieth-century North American home kitchens as a creative way to use prolific backyard garden squash. By combining vegetable moisture with warming baking spices and natural regional sweeteners like maple syrup, bakers transformed surplus summer produce into a cherished breakfast and teatime quick bread.
