This bread deliciously combines several Mediterranean flavors, and makes good use of zucchini overload!

UPDATE: This post was originally written in August 2014. A very kind reader let me know that the link no longer worked, so I am recreating it here. Sadly, I don’t have any zucchini in my garden yet this year, but no doubt it will come before too long!

It’s that time of year again – zucchini season. I have been following the Mediterranean example and using zucchini in everything; zucchini pie, stuffed zucchini, zucchini pickles, even zucchini brownies. But still, the zucchini keeps coming. I have an especially prolific patch of yellow zucchini this year. Yesterday, out of desperation, or perhaps fear of the zucchini rising up like zombies, I experimented and devised this moist, savory bread.

Zucchini bread is usually a sweet bread, but I was looking for something to use with sandwiches. Since it finally cooled off enough to turn the oven on for long baking, yeast bread was the answer. The experiment must have worked, because most of the loaf disappeared last night. Looks like I need to make another today.

Semolina flour boosts the protein level here and gives the bread a beautiful golden hue. But if you can’t find semolina where you live, you could try white whole wheat or unbleached all-purpose flour.

If you are using very dry tomatoes, be sure to soak them a bit before adding to the dough. I used dried cherry tomatoes from my garden, and might even add more next time.

Originally I planned to shape this bread as a round, but it is just too moist. It needs the structure of a pan to keep it together. Using a smaller loaf pan will give you a very high loaf, like that in the photo. A larger loaf pan will yield a flatter loaf.

Semolina Tomato Zucchini Yeast Bread

An unusual yeast bread that uses moist shredded zucchini and tangy dried tomatoes.

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Ingredients

  

• 3/4 cup lukewarm water
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour, separated
• 1 cup semolina flour
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup snipped, dried tomatoes

Instructions

 

• Ina large bowl, or the stand mixer bowl, combine the water, yeast, and honey. Stir and let stand 15 minutes or until the yeast is foamy
• Add 1 cup of bread flour. Beat to combine. Cover and let sit for 2 hours.
• Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 4 minutes, adding more flour if necessary to keep dough held together.

  NOTE: This dough is very soft due to the zucchini moisture. You want the dough to hold together, but not to be too dry.
• Transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
• Scrape dough out onto a floured board. Let rest for 10 minutes.
• Form dough into a loaf and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pan or 9 x 5 inch pan.
• Cover and let rise 1/2 – 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Score the top of the loaf.
• Bake for 50- 75 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 190 degrees.
• Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and completely cool before slicing.

If you like this bread – and still have lots of zucchini to use up – try making a loaf of Zucchini Ricotta Chive Bread too!