Last Updated on December 18, 2022
Ina Garten, popularly known as Barefoot Contessa, one of the world’s most-known cooks, serves the best barefoot contessa zucchini bread. In addition to that, she has a huge following online, her cookbooks, and even a television show.
Moreover, Barefoot Contessa creates complicated dishes easier through her skilled approach to cooking. As a result, people seek her recipes as a guide for making dishes that they have not tried out before.
Furthermore, she uses common ingredients in making good food. Her signature dish is zucchini bread which is a sweet and warm, mild veggie homemade bread. It is similar to pumpkin, apple, or other sweet loaves of bread, usually served at Thanksgiving. If you have not tried making zucchini bread and have not tasted it, you should try this recipe.
In that regard, making this recipe is easy, so if you haven’t made homemade bread, don’t worry. Barefoot Contessa’s Zucchini bread recipe inspired this recipe. It is an easier take that is perfect for serving your guests.
What You Will Need
Ingredients
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 cup of softened butter
- 3pcs of large eggs
- 1 tbsp of vanilla
- 2pcs of medium zucchini, about 2 cups of shredded zucchini
- 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
Equipment
- 2pcs of 8×4 or 8.5×4.5 inch non-stick loaf pans
- Two mixing bowls (medium-sized)
- Hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Loaf Pans 8.5 x 4.5 Inch, Beasea Set of 2 Loaf Bread Pans for Baking, Nonstick
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1
Before anything else, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
Then, grease the bottom of your loaf pans and set them aside.
Step 3
Afterward, combine the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl and set aside.
Step 4
In another bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, and nutmeg.
Step 5
At medium speed, beat the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla mixture. After that, ensure to scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl frequently until the mixture becomes smooth.
Step 6
Then, add the dry mixture of flour, cinnamon, and salt from the other bowl to the wet mixture. Afterward, beat it at low speed until everything combines well.
Step 7
Afterward, add the zucchini and walnuts to the mixture and stir.
Step 8
Then, pour the bread batter mixture into the greased loaf pans and spread evenly.
Step 9
Next, make sure to bake it for fifty-five to sixty-five minutes. To check, insert a toothpick at the center of the pan, and it is okay if it comes out clean.
Step 10
After that, remove the bread loaf pans from the oven. And let them cool over the counter for approximately ten minutes.
Step 11
Finally, remove the zucchini bread from the pans and let it cool completely and then serve.
What Does Baking Soda do in Zucchini Bread?
When it comes to most bread, yeast is used as a leavening agent. A leavening agent is what helps the bread to rise and keeps it light. However, when it comes to zucchini bread, a different leavening agent is used.
Baking soda or baking powder is used to help the bread achieve its rise. While the baking soda is the reason for the bread’s rise, the zucchini is responsible for that moist, tasty flavor you’ll likely associate with zucchini bread.
How Many Calories is Zucchini Bread?
The calories in zucchini bread will all depend on the size of the slice you’re enjoying. On average, a slice of zucchini bread is around 40g. With that in mind, there will usually be around 154 calories per serving.
As well as that the bread will usually contain around 7.9g of fat, 19g of carbohydrates, 11g of sugar, and 2.1g of protein. Other nutritional facts you may want to know: each slice contains around 0.6g of dietary fiber, 58mg of potassium, 14mg of cholesterol, and 109mg of sodium.
How Long Does Zucchini Bread Last Frozen?
As with most bread, zucchini bread can also be frozen. Doing so dramatically increases the shelf life of your bread. It’s important that you double-wrap your bread when freezing for longer-lasting results. If stored correctly your zucchini bread will last around 3 months in the freezer. After this time the flavor and texture will likely be altered and you’d likely not want to eat it very much!
How to Cut Zucchini Bread?
If you don’t have a bread slicer it can be tricky to cut the perfect slice of bread. However, there’s a simple way to do this! All you need to do is turn the loaf of bread upside down and then begin cutting as you usually would.
The bottom of a loaf is usually much stronger and sturdier so it should make it easy to make the initial cut on your slice of bread. Once you’ve started cutting, it should be easy to follow through with your knife. Repeat this process for your entire loaf.
Can I Use Cake Flour for Zucchini Bread?
Absolutely! Most of the time all purpose flour is used when making zucchini. However, you can also use cake flour. Cake flour is similar to regular flour except that it’s been milled extra fine for a texture that is simply delicious. If you’re looking for tender and light zucchini bread, you may want to try using cake flour.
Can You Make Zucchini Bread Without Nutmeg?
A simple answer: yes! Some people may not like the flavor of nutmeg and when it comes to zucchini bread you don’t have to add this spice. As long as you’re including flavorings such as cinnamon and vanilla, your zucchini bread will still taste delicious!
What to Top Zucchini Bread With?
There are a few ways you can spice up your zucchini bread. Let’s take a look at two of my favorite toppings on zucchini bread. The first is a simple iced glaze once the bread has been baked. All you need is 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of warm heavy whipping cream.
- Whisk the ingredients together and then pour over your bread once ready to serve.
- For the second topping, you’ll need to add this before you bake your bread, over the top of the batter.
- Streusel topping really elevates zucchini bread.
- For this, you’ll need 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Now all you need to do is add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and flour to a bowl and mix well.
- Once mixed, add your melted butter and gently mix.
- Once you’ve folded your batter in, pour the streusel topping over your bread batter in your loaf pan.
Tips and Tricks for Zucchini Bread Barefoot Contessa
For best results, serve the bread hot. You can spread soft butter on the bread as it can enhance the flavor. In addition to that, you can substitute zucchini with yellow squash if zucchinis are unavailable or any mild squash.
You can also add raisins, dates, and nuts like walnuts or cranberries to your bread. Moreover, do not put too much flour into your bread; adding too much can make the bread denser and tasteless. Additionally, do not pack the measuring cup with flour when measuring. With that, sift your flour, then gently measure it to make the zucchini bread lighter.
Keep in mind that cooking the bread for too long can cause it to become crunchy and hard. Also, if your bread is flat, you may have a problem with your baking powder. For that reason, the baking powder may not be fresh. That is why it would be best to use newly bought baking powder. Likewise, store it properly in an airtight container.
Moreover, if your bread is not rising properly, you may have been using too much baking powder. Because of this, using too much can make large air bubbles causing them to collide and pop. As a result, it produces flat-looking bread.
When estimating the amount of baking powder, consider the altitude, humidity levels, and oven.
Furthermore, to achieve evenly cooked bread, use the right loaf pans, preferably non-stick loaf pans. Also, for scooping out the batter from the bowl, use a rubber spatula because it is bendable. Hence, even out the mixture in the pans easily with this tool.
Barefoot Contessa Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- 2pcs of 8×4 or 8.5×4.5 inch non-stick loaf pans
- Two mixing bowls (medium-sized)
- Hand mixer
- Measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 cup of softened butter
- 3 pcs of large eggs
- 1 tbsp of vanilla
- 2 pcs of medium zucchini about 2 cups of shredded zucchini
- 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
Instructions
- Before anything else, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Then, grease the bottom of your loaf pans and set them aside.
- Afterward, combine the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, and nutmeg.
- At a medium speed, beat the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla mixture. After that, ensure to scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl frequently until the mixture becomes smooth.
- Then, add the dry mixture of flour, cinnamon, and salt from the other bowl to the wet mixture. Afterward, beat it at low speed until everything combines well.
- Afterward, add the zucchini and walnuts to the mixture and stir.
- Then, pour the bread batter mixture into the greased loaf pans and spread evenly.
- Next, make sure to bake it for fifty-five to sixty-five minutes. To check, insert a toothpick at the center of the pan, and it is okay if it comes out clean.
- After that, remove the bread loaf pans from the oven. And let them cool over the counter for approximately ten minutes.
- Finally, remove the zucchini bread from the pans and let it cool completely and then serve
Notes
Zarah is an experienced pastry chef whose creations have delighted countless customers. With a passion for baking, Zarah has developed a unique style that combines classic techniques with modern flavors. Her desserts are consistently crafted with the finest ingredients, and her attention to detail is evident in the stunning and delectable results. Zarah has a wealth of experience in the pastry kitchen, and loves to share her knowledge with others. Whether it is teaching a class or creating a custom cake for a special occasion, Zarah is committed to making sure every customer is satisfied.