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Savory Zucchini Beer Bread

By Lukas Volger

3.4

(7)

Photo of a loaf of zucchini beer bread on a cutting board sliced thick and spread with butter.
Photo by Cara Howe

I hadn’t yet acquired the palate for it, but as a kid I loved making beer bread with my mom because it was such an easy baking project—just a few ingredients, and soon enough it was perfuming the whole house with the comforting promise of fresh bread. Here’s a variation on that classic, very simple recipe, in which summer squash marries with scallions and Parmesan to create something much more flavorful and a bit more decadent. You can leave out the cheese to make the bread vegan, or swap 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast if you’d like.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 1 (8½ x 4½ –inch) loaf

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini or yellow squash (about 12 ounces total), coarsely grated
1 teaspoon salt, divided
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for greasing
3 cups all-purpose flour (substitute up to half whole-wheat flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
¼ cup coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1¼ cups light and crisp beer, such as a lager, pilsner, or Kolsch

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Toss the zucchini with ½ teaspoon of the salt in a colander and let stand for 15 minutes. Gather it up in your hands and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.

    Step 2

    Preheat the oven 375°F. Generously grease an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan.

    Step 3

    Whisk together the flour, baking powder, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, the sugar, and black pepper. Add the zucchini, scallions, coarsely shredded cheese, and ¼ cup of the olive oil, folding to combine, then pour in the beer. Let stand for a few minutes as the dry ingredients absorb the beer, then fold gently until everything is moistened. It’ll be a dense and tacky batter. Scrape into the prepared pan.

    Step 4

    Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the finely shredded cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake until set in the center and a tester comes out clean, 75 to 80 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold. This bread can be served warm (though it’ll be a bit gooey inside) and should be eaten within a day or two, stored loosely covered at room temperature.

Cover image for Start Simple cookbook by Lukas Volger, showing illustrated ingredients and photographed ingredients on toast (beans, eggs, greens, tomatoes)
From Start Simple. Copyright © 2020 by Lukas Volger. Reprinted with permission by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from Harper Collins or from Amazon.
TagsBreadZucchiniSquashVegetableSideSnackStarterBrunchNut FreeVegetarianBakingHarper CollinsCookbooks

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