Rustic Zucchini Bread with Hazelnuts

Recipe by Shaye Elliott. This wonderful zucchini loaf is buttery and flavorful, thanks to a blend of Whole Wheat and All-Purpose Einkorn Flour. Feel free to change up the hazelnuts for walnuts (or any other sort of finely minced nut), plus you may omit the chocolate hazelnut spread if you choose.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a loaf pan generously and set aside. 
2. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of the sea salt over the top of the shredded zucchini. Massage the zucchini to distribute the salt evenly. Allow the zucchini to sit in a fine mesh strainer for 20 minutes – this will allow excess water from the zucchini to strain off and will create a lighter, more flavorful, and better-textured bread. After 20 minutes, use your hands to squeeze the zucchini very tightly to eliminate as much water as possible. Set aside. 
3. Whisk together the butter, sugar, and eggs until very well combined. This can be done by hand or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add in the zucchini and mix again to combine. 
4. In a second bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Add in the chopped hazelnuts and stir the mixture again to coat the hazelnuts in the flour – this will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the bread while it bakes. 
5. Finally, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine the zucchini mixture and flour mixture until the dough is homogenous and no dry pockets remain. Transfer the dough into the prepared loaf pan. 
6. Bake the zucchini bread for 55 minutes or until a knife inserted into the very middle comes out clean. Allow the bread to rest in the loaf pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to let cool completely. When the bread is completely cooled, spread the chocolate-hazelnut spread on top of the loaf, if desired. It’s important to let the bread completely cool before slicing it. Slice thick and enjoy!