Courgette, Sultana & Lemon Bread
Courgettes give off quite a bit of liquid when you grate them but don’t worry about draining it off in this recipe because the courgettey water will help to flavour the bread and add moisture. when you will be adding water to a recipe later anyway, it doesn’t make sense to fanny about taking liquid out only to put it back in again, and I like simple solutions. I often start preparing my bread last thing at night so I can take the frustrations of the day out on it as I knead, which gives the additional bonus of being able to leave the dough overnight to rise for extra light and fluffy bread. This bread is delicious sliced and toasted with butter (or whatever spread you have) and marmalade, or simply eaten warm by the handful.
Makes 1 small loaf
1 small courgette
300g plain flour, plus extra to knead the dough
a 7g sachet of fast-acting dried yeast
50g sultanas
zest and juice of 1⁄2 a lemon or 1 tablespoon bottle lemon juice
Grate the courgette finely into a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and yeast to the courgette, and then tip in the sultanas. Combine everything with a wooden spoon, making sure the courgette doesn’t all just clump together.
Pour the lemon juice into a measuring cup, grate in the zest and add recently boiled water to make it up to 150ml of liquid (less than usual for this amount of flour because of the wetness of the courgette). Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture and pour in most of the lemon-water. Mix to form a sticky dough, adding the rest of the liquid if required.
Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Leave the dough to rise for half an hour, with a tea towel over the top to keep the heat from the water in.
When the dough has risen, knock the air out of it, and pop into a lightly oiled or silicone 1lb loaf tin (approximately 17 x 7 x 6cm). Cover with cling film and leave to rise again (this is called proving) for at least another half an hour or. A little before the end of the proving time, put on the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 to preheat.
Score the top of the dough lightly. Put the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes; the loaf should be golden and crisp on top, feel lightweight and sound hollow on the bottom when tapped. Take out of the oven, remove the loaf from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack, then slice and devour.
Photography by Susan Bell
‘Courgette, Sultana & Lemon Bread’ recipe from A Girl Called Jack by Jack Monroe, available to buy now.
Twitter: @MsJackMonroe Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/agirlcalledjack
Categories: BREADS, BREAKFASTS, Recipes & Food, SNACKS & TREATS, VEGAN, Vegan Recipes, VEGETARIAN
And a good recipe when there’s a glut of courgettes from people with allotments 🙂
I’ve never had much success with bread, bu this turned out to be fabulous – first recipe of you’d that ive tried-looking forward to a few more of your breads 🙂 good luck with the new job
Hi Jack, just made and devoured your Spicy Potato Soup, I added a carrot and a courgette and wholegrain mustard, it was delicious. Am going to try a veggie week myself so I’ll let you know how the other recipes turn out, I have made the carrot and coriander falafel and courgette and mint fritters many times now and everyone loves them. Think I will try out the breads, especially as my name is Baker lol xx
If you were served something this good in a restaurant, you’d feel pretty pleased. The fact that it is so cheap and easy to make is nothing short of miraculous. I grated in some zest from the lemon because I like things good and lemony. I also added a bit of thyme from the garden. Delicious! No more unloved courgettes going to waste.
This was delicious: really light and tasty, plus ideal for using up the courgettes which are still going strong on my allotment. I served it with carrot & ginger soup (another glut situation). Like the idea of adding thyme, and think caraway seeds might work well too.
Will definitely be trying this.
I have been given an overgrown courgette (its now definitely morphed into a marrow – I think it weighs more than my children when they were born – and they were about 6 1/2 lbs!) – could I substitute this for the courgette in the recipe above?
Yes definitely! Good luck finding recipes for the rest of your mammoth marrow too!
Love the idea and the no-added-sugar. Any suggestion on the weight of “one small courgette”? There’s small and small.
I’m not sure off the top of my head but I can try to find out!
Would you serve with butter, or is it more cakey than that?
Hi, this bread sounds delicious. Will try it next. What you said about leaving the bread overnight, after which stage do you leave it? In the tin or before? And do you leave it in the fridge or on the worktop?
Thanks for your help. 🙂
Somehow what I posted yesterday disappeared. I hope it doesn’t turn up twice now.
I am intrigued by what you said about leaving the bread overnight. Do you leave it in the fridge or on the worktop? And after which stage do you leave it?
Anyway thanks for the great receipe. I will try it next, it sounds absolutely delicious.
What a lovely photo of you both xx
Made this loaf today and was very pleased with it. Keep up the great work Jack, you are an inspiration.
Hi Jack, do u think replacing wheat flour with gluten free bread flour would work for your recipes? Thanks Claire. X
Sounds lovely! I would also love an answer on ‘elfeneule’s question about overnight proving, at what stage, do you need to ‘knock-and-prove’ in the morning? Cold or room temp.? Thank you
Reblogged this on Big Chiefs Table.
can I use brown rice flour for this ?
Really I love your recipes.Basically the making material of loaf as well as bread are appropriate.And Its delecious to have that I think.