Sourdough Discard Zucchini Spice Quick Bread
My picky son absolutely loves this zucchini spice bread! We like to have this bread for a special breakfast with coffee. It is perfect for summer when zucchini is in season and very prolific in our region. The zucchini gives this bread an incredible moist bite, and combined with its sweet and spicy flavor, this Zucchini Spice Quick Bread might get a picky eater you know excited to eat something green! This recipe is for muffins, but I give instructions to make it into a loaf in the Notes section.
Servings: 12 muffins (see Notes for making a loaf)
Equipment
- cheese grater
- Food Scale
- fine mesh strainer
- pan or small pot to melt butter
- 2 large bowls
- Spoon
- paper cupcake/muffin liners
- muffin pan
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 100 grams sourdough discard (active starter can be used as well) about 1 cup
- 130 grams water 1/2 cup
- 250 grams flour ( all-purpose is okay, I like to use half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose) 1 2/3 cup
For the dough
- 42 grams unsalted butter, softened 3 tablespoons
- 42 grams oil (I prefer softened coconut oil, avocado oil works well too) 3 tablespoons
- 120 grams brown sugar ½ cup 1 ¼ tablespoons
- 2 eggs
- 6 grams vanilla 1 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt ½ teaspoon
- 5 grams baking soda 1 teaspoon
- 9 grams cinnamon 2 teaspoons
- 4 grams ginger 1 teaspoon
- 2 grams nutmeg ½ teaspoon
- 1 gram clove ¼ teaspoon
- 145-160 grams grated zucchini about 1 cup
Instructions
- Make sponge: Mix sourdough discard, water, and flour together into a thick sponge. Cover well and let sit at room temperature 6 to 10 hours or overnight.
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 375º
- Grate zucchini: Grate zucchini into coarse pieces using a clean cheese grater. Place zucchini in a fine mesh strainer propped over a bowl to allow excess water to drain.
- Beat butter: Place a large mixing bowl on the scale. Tare the bowl then add butter. Cream butter. Add oil and brown sugar. Beat together until creamy.
- Scale: Add eggs, vanilla, and salt. (Remember to use the scale’s tare function to remove the weight of the bowl and previous ingredients to only weigh the current item added)
- Mix: Beat ingredients together.
- Add spices and baking soda: Mix in baking soda and spices. Pour dry mixture into the wet mixture. Stir together.
- Add sponge: Mix the sponge and the mixture of sugar, butter, eggs, and the other previously combined ingredients together until they are incorporated.
- Add zucchini: Once the other ingredients are combined, add the grated and drained zucchini.
- Prepare muffin pan: Place liners into the cups of the muffin pan.
- Fill muffin cups: Use a spatula to pour dough into the cups, equally distributed and about ¾ full. For an extra crispiness on top, sprinkle ½ to 1 teaspoons sugar over the top of each muffin before baking.
- Bake: Place pans into oven and bake 14 to18 minutes. The tops should be golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Cool: Allow to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve: Enjoy!
Notes
For making a loaf instead of muffins, follow these instructions:
- Prepare loaf pans: Cut one square piece of parchment, at least 12-by-12-inch. Turn a loaf pan over, center the parchment square over the bottom of the loaf pan. Use scissors to make four cuts from the edge of the paper to each corner. Turn loaf pan over. Use cut slits to fold edges in to fit parchment snugly into loaf pans.
- Fill loaf pans: Use a spatula to pour dough into the loaf pan, equally distributed. For an extra crispiness on top, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar over the top before baking.
- Bake: Place pan into oven and bake 40 to 50 minutes. The bread should have a golden brown top and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center should come out clean.