Best James Beards Zucchini Bread Recipes

SPICED ZUCCHINI BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F, and grease two 8x4×2 1/2-inch loaf pans.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the vegetable oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and baking powder, and mix until well blended. Stir in the nuts. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans, and tap them gently on the counter to release any air bubbles.
• Bake until the loaves have risen and are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Allow the bread to cool in the pans for 5 minutes; then turn the loaves out onto wire racks to cool.
• Serve the bread warm, sliced and spread with cream cheese if desired.

JAMES BEARD'S BASIC HOME-STYLE BREAD

Steps:

• Add the yeast to 1/2 cup of the warm milk, along with 2 tbl sugar, and stir well until the yeast in completely dissolved. Allow the yeast to proof.
• Place the remaining milk, butter and salt in a bowl. (Beard liked a lot of salt, and I would use less). Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, with a wooden spoon.
• After the third cup, add the yeast mixture. Continue stirring in flour until the mixture is rather firm, which should take about 4 to 5 cups.
• Remove the dough to a floured board and knead, adding more flour as necessary, until it is supple, satiny and no longer sticky.
• Butter a bowl and place the dough in it, turning to coat all sides with the fat. Cover and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Deflate the dough by punching firmly two or three times, return to the floured board, and knead 4 to 5 minutes more.
• Divide into two equal parts and shape into loaves. Place in well-buttered 9x5x3 in loaf tins, cover, and let rise again until doubled in bulk.
• Slash the loaves with a sharp knife and brush with lightly beaten egg white or water.
• Bake in a 400 deg. oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped with the knuckles.
• Remove the loaves from the pans and put them back in the oven a few minutes longer to become crisped.

CLASSIC ZUCCHINI BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 8-x4-inch loaf pans with softened butter and line with parchment paper.
• Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter starts to brown and smell like hazelnuts, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a whisk to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot; set aside.
• Whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg in a large bowl.
• Whisk together eggs, light brown sugar, sugar and canola oil in a medium bowl until no lumps remain and eggs are well blended.
• Using your hands, squeeze out as much water as possible from the zucchini. Add zucchini and browned butter to the egg mixture, whisking to blend.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to slowly incorporate until no dry spots remain.
• Divide batter among prepared pans, smoothing the top. Sprinkle both with demerara sugar, if using, and place in oven. Bake, rotating once, until bread is golden brown on top, pulls away from the sides and springs back lightly when pressed at the top, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Let cool completely on a wire rack before removing from the loaf pan.