Courgette 16 Jul 2013 Add grated courgettes to a standard bread recipe and you are not just adding flavour, but extra moisture too

Add grated courgettes to a standard bread recipe and you are not just adding flavour, but extra moisture to the dough. This means it keeps for longer than most, makes the most delicious toast and tastes fantastic when smothered with butter. Besides, it’s a great way of using up that glut of courgettes that overwhelm most gardeners during high summer. You will find that the dough is quite sticky, don’t panic about that, and don’t compensate by adding loads more flour.

You will need:

• 3 courgettes, green or yellow - grated
• 1 sachet (7g) of dried yeast
• 500g strong white flour
• 1 level tablespoon caster sugar
• 1 level tablespoon salt
• 2 oz / 50g grated cheddar cheese
• 2 oz sundried tomatoes - chopped
• Dash olive oil
• 300ml warm water (body heat).

Method:

• Turn the oven to 180°C - never put bread dough into a cool oven.
• Pour flour into a large bowl and warm for a short time.
• Add yeast, sugar, salt, grated courgette, cheese, oil, chopped sundried tomatoes and half the water, work together into a dough, adding more water if needed.
• Place dough on a wooden board and knead for about 5 minutes, then return to the bowl.
• Cover with a clean cloth and store in a warm place for 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Knock back the dough and knead again for at least 10 minutes.
• Place dough into one or two oiled and floured loaf tins (The size of your loaf is up to you). Perhaps you could try both the loaf tin and a shaped loaf on a tray, freezing one loaf for later when they are cooked.
• Bake for about half an hour, or until the crust has turned a golden brown and the bread makes a hollow sound when you tap it.