Garden Zucchini Cheddar Quick Bread
An easy, savory, and irresistible quick bread recipe featuring shredded zucchini and sharp cheddar cheese, perfect for a weeknight bake or a thoughtful gift.
Equipment
- 9x5 inch loaf pan Greased and floured
- Large bowl
- Medium bowl
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Wire rack
- Wooden skewer or toothpick
- Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth For squeezing zucchini
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1.5 cups shredded zucchini Squeeze out excess moisture
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk 2%, whole, or nonfat
- 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Melted
- 1.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese Grated
- 2 green onions Chopped
Instructions
- Get the oven ready: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). While it's heating up, grab your 9x5 inch loaf pan and give it a good grease and flour. This helps ensure your beautiful bread releases perfectly.
- Dry ingredients unite! In a nice, big bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Give them a good swirl so everything's evenly distributed.
- The magical milk mixture: In a separate medium bowl, pour in your milk and add the tablespoon of vinegar. Give it a quick stir and then let it sit for about 5 minutes. You'll see it start to look a little bit curdled – that's exactly what we want!
- Wet ingredients come out to play: To that slightly curdled milk mixture, add your egg and the melted butter. Whisk it all together until it's nice and smooth.
- Combine wet and dry: Now, pour those lovely wet ingredients into the bowl with your dry ingredients. Stir them together just until they're combined. This is super important – overmixing can lead to a tough bread, and we want tender, fluffy goodness! A few little lumps are perfectly fine.
- Fold in the stars: Gently fold in the shredded zucchini, the grated cheddar cheese, and those chopped green onions. Be careful not to stir too vigorously; we want to keep all that air in our batter.
- Pan it up! Pour your beautiful batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly. Give the pan a little tap on the counter to settle it.
- Bake to perfection: Pop that pan into your preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. The best way to check if it's done is to insert a wooden skewer or a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, your bread is ready!
- Cool down time: Let your gorgeous loaf cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. This helps it firm up a bit. Then, carefully invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Patience is a virtue, especially when it smells this good!
Notes
Once completely cooled, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week, or slice and freeze for up to 3 months.