A wholesome loaf starring courgettes, nutmeg and rosemary
Diana Henry
The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
Published
The best bread I’ve made in a long time. I first baked it during lockdown, when I needed something extra to turn chicken and salad into Saturday night dinner. The butter – please make it – is from my friend Nik Sharma. There’s a more complex version in his book Season.
Hot from the oven, this is very crumbly to slice, but it keeps well – if you want to eat it warm, toast slices of it when it’s a couple of days old.
Requires cooling time
Overview
Prep time
25 mins
Cook time
1 hr
Serves
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 2 courgettes (about 345g), coarsely grated but not wrung out
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 80ml olive oil
- 80g butter, melted
- 45g soft light-brown sugar
- generous amount of freshly ground nutmeg
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- chopped leaves from 1 sprig rosemary, plus 3 sprigs for the top
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 255g plain flour
- 30g chopped walnuts
For the butter
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 4 black peppercorns
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp toasted white (or half white and half black) sesame seeds
- 225g butter, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp runny honey
Method
Step
Preheat the oven to 180C/170C fan/gas mark 4. Butter or lightly oil a 22 x 12cm loaf tin.
Step
Put 2 coarsely grated courgettes (about 345g) into a bowl with 2 lightly beaten eggs, 80ml olive oil, 80g melted butter, 45g soft light-brown sugar, a generous amount of freshly ground nutmeg, the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and the chopped leaves of 1 rosemary sprig.
Step
Add 1 tsp salt. Mix all this together, then add ½ tsp baking powder, ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 225g plain flour and 30g chopped walnuts.
Step
Scrape this into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Lay 3 rosemary sprigs on the surface.
Step
Bake for 50-60 minutes. Put a skewer into the middle of the bread – if it’s ready, the skewer should come out clean. If it is not ready, return to the oven and check again in 5-10 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin, then carefully turn it out.
Step
To make the butter, toast ½ tsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds and 4 black peppercorns in a dry pan until you can smell them (about 20 seconds).
Step
Tip them into a mortar and pestle and crush them. Add ½ tsp chilli flakes.
Step
Work these spices and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds into 225g softened butter, adding 1 tbsp honey as you go.
Step
Scrape into a small bowl or ramekin, cover and put in the fridge to firm up. Serve with the bread.