Einkorn Zucchini Bread from the Garden

The other day, I found a giant zucchini growing in my community garden plot. It had been hiding under one of the leaves so I didn’t see it for several days. It finally caught my eye one evening when I went to water my plants. I couldn’t believe how big it was. I had lot’s of fun parading around the garden and showing it off to the other gardeners. They of course humored me because that’s what gardeners do.

I’ve since found two more zucchinis just as big and one even bigger. They keep eluding me. One evening, I’ll go water the garden and nothing seems to be growing. Then a day or two later, boom, out of nowhere, these huge squashes just crop up.

What’s a girl to do with all this squash? Make zucchini bread, that’s what and lot’s of it.  I’ve been baking loaves, freezing them and giving some away. 

I’ve made several different kinds of bread using different types of flour. Some with nuts and some without. One of my favorite versions so far is made with whole grain einkorn pasty flour.

 

This bread is considered a quick bread because it utilizes baking powder which is a quick rising agent. Quick breads are usually fairly quick to prepare, quick to rise and quick to bake. However, when you mill your own flour, it takes a little bit longer to get all of the ingredients together (i.e. mise en place).

I began the process of making this bread by grinding the einkorn berries on the pastry setting of my WonderMill Grain Mill. The flour was soft and fluffy when I sifted it through my fingers.

After I milled the flour, I cut the zucchini into long chunks and ran them through the food processor. I ended up with heap of shredded zucchini; enough for about six loaves.

I wasn’t sure how the whole grain flour would perform in this loaf, but grinding the berries on the pastry setting made the flour very light. The whole grain version didn’t rise quite as much as the all white version, but it still worked really well. I liked the texture and flavor.

 

Einkorn Zucchini Bread

Adapted from this quick bread recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 – 2 1/2 cups home-milled einkorn whole wheat pasty flour*
• 1 cup raw sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded unpeeled raw zucchini
• 3/4 to 1 cup walnuts, optional
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

* Einkorn flour doesn’t absorb water as much as regular wheat flour. I added more flour rather than reducing the amount of liquid.  If you make this with regular all-purpose or bread flour, reduce the amount of flour to about 2 cups.

 

Directions:

Makes 16 servings.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Stir in zucchini and walnuts, if using.

Beat oil, milk, eggs and vanilla in separate bowl. Gradually add to dry ingredients, mixing until just moistened. Do not over mix.

For mini loaves: Pour batter into 4 greased 5 1/2x3-inch mini loaf pans. Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

For larger loaves: Bake 45 to 50 minutes in two 8x4-inch pans or 55 to 60 minutes in one 9x5-inch pan.

Cool on a wire rack.

As with most quick bread, this loaf tastes better the next day.  Just wrap it in plastic and let it sit overnight, if you can.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy