Chocolate Zucchini Loaf

One thing that I especially love about this time of year, apart from the warm afternoons lazing on the beach of course, is that a variety of things in our veggie garden are ready for harvesting.  It's been sort of a funny year to be honest, with a lot of cross pollination's going on, so I have weird cucumelons (cucumber / yellow melons) growing and although I have a lot of tomatoes they're taking their own sweet time ripening, but I'm sure it will all come out delicious in the end - it's just one of the fun thing about growing your own produce.

We've had a few carrots from the garden already, and the odd tomato and handful of strawberries but today was the day for the zucchini - and a perfect specimen it was too.  There's another one that's going to be ready any day now, which I'm going to make into some salad or side, but this one already had a reservation on it for some kind of zucchini bread or loaf - and lets be honest, chocolate just about goes with anything :o)

Chocolate Zucchini Loaf
makes 2 loaves

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (packed) zucchini, grated unpeeled
1 cup chocolate chips

• preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line two 9"x5" loaf tins with wax paper.
• in a large bowl mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt;  set aside.
• in another large bowl whisk the sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy.
• to the egg mixture add the canola oil and vanilla extract;  mix well.
• add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, along with the zucchini and chocolate chips.
• mix until just combined and then divide the mixture between the two prepared loaf tins.
• bake, in the centre of the oven, for 50-60 minutes until the top is cracked and spongy.

 Chocolate Zucchini Loaf ingredients.

line two loaf tins with wax paper.

grate the zucchini until....

....you have a bowlful of greeny goodness.

mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

put the sugar and eggs into a large bowl and....

....whisk like mad until light and fluffy - of course you could also use an electric hand mixer or even a stand mixer, but my arms needed the workout :o)

add the oil and vanilla and mix well.

add the wet mixture to the dry along with the zucchini and chocolate chips, and...

...mix until just combined.

divide the mixture evenly between the two loaf tins.

bake until the tops are cracked - these took about 52 minutes.

if you're like me and can't wait until the loaves have cooled down completely you're first slice will be studded with these melty little chocolate 'spots' - yummy!!!

No Knead Bread

I love making my own bread, whether it's a simple white sandwich loaf or grain and fibre packed artisan rolls, I just love it.  Years ago I used to make it completely by hand, from mixing the ingredients to kneading it until my arms felt like wet noodles, but now, unless I want that upper body workout (which trust me, is never!), I use either the bread machine or stand mixer to do all the hard work.  I have to admit I don't like to bake it in the bread machine very often - my machine produces a fairly uniform 'cube' loaf which gives you big slices, whereas I like the smaller slices that a loaf tin will give you - so I usually mix it in the bread machine and give it that first 'resting' in there and then I'll punch it down and transfer it to a loaf tin to rise and bake in the oven.

When I came across this recipe from Michael Smith (I was actually watching an episode of Chef at Home), I loved the idea of how easy it all seemed to be, with nothing more than the simplest of ingredients, the least amount of effort and a LOT of time.  It may seem a long time to have to wait for that scrumptious loaf of bread that you're craving but take my word for it, it's well worth the wait.

No Knead Bread
makes 1 loaf

4 cups bread flour (I like to do half white, half wholewheat, but use whatever you have)
1/2 tsp dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups warm water
splash of vegetable oil

• in a large bowl mix together the flour, yeast and salt.
• add the warm water and mix, using a wooden spoon, until all the flour mixture is incorporated:  1 to 2 minutes.
• cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for 18 hours;  the dough will double in size and bubbles will form under the surface.  If you pull the surface slightly using your finger you'll be able to see the long gluten strands that have formed naturally from the long resting period.
• 'punch' the dough down and toss it, in the bowl, with the splash of vegetable oil to coat it.
• transfer it to a 9" x 5" loaf tin, leave uncovered, and let it rest in a warm place for another 2-3 hours to double in size again.
• preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.
• (from the photos below you'll see that I didn't use a normal loaf pan this time.  I used a pan that I think is called a 'milk' loaf pan - correct me if I'm wrong.  I brought it back from England on one of my last visits, and it works great for this recipe).

 No Knead Bread ingredients.

put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix together.

pour in the warm water...

...and mix to incorporate all the dry ingredients - it will be very moist.

after 18 hours of being covered in a warm place it will have doubled in size and you'll see bubbles under the surface.

after all that resting time the dough will have created the long gluten strands needed for wonderful bread.

punch the dough down, toss with a splash of vegetable oil and transfer to a loaf pan.

this is my 'milk' loaf pan - when bread is baked the ridges make it really easy to slice.

comes out golden bread and yummy.

airy, light, slightly chewy.....delicious!!!