The Best Zucchini Bread

This quick-bread recipe, The Best Zucchini Bread, leans on zucchini, flour and baking powder. It makes 12 Slices and takes about 70 minutes.

• Yield 12 Slices
• Ready in 70 minutes
• Prep 15 minutes
• Cook 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound zucchini
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (not fat-free)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons salted butter (melted)

Instructions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees (original instructions were for 375 degrees). Generously coat a 9X5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or cooking spray with flour.
2. Chop the ends off the zucchini (just 1/4-inch off each end) and finely shred the zucchini, peel and all. Place the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel (or nut milk bag), wrap the towel, and wring the ends (like a an old-fashioned candy wrapper) to squeeze out all the excess water. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of dry zucchini. Set the zucchini aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk the sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice or sour cream, and butter until combined.
4. Gently fold the yogurt mixture and zucchini into the dry ingredients, using a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together until just combined - don't overmix! Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
5. Bake until golden brown and a thin knife or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, 45-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then turn out into wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour. Store well-covered for up to three days.

Cool the bake on a rack until the crumb sets, then slice.