Bruce asks: When baking zucchini bread the loaves rise nicely while baking, but they fall in the middle. What can be done to prevent this?
The bread also wants to stick. We are using stainless steel pans, Baker’s Secret spray and a convection oven. How do I prevent it from sticking to the pan?
Baking S.O.S. says: It sounds like your zucchini bread isn’t getting done all the way through the middle. Under-baked quick breads are characterized by rising nicely in the oven and then falling as they cool out of the oven–exactly what you described.
To be certain your zucchini bread is completely done before you remove it from the oven, you can try several methods to test for doneness [and sometimes using more than 1 method helps!]:
- Insert a wooden toothpick or skewer deep in the center of the zucchini bread. You can also test in several different spots to be sure, if you like. It should come out clean or with dry crumbs on it.
- Press the top of the zucchini bread gently in the center. If it bounces back, it is done in the middle. If you can hear it “squish,” it is still wet in the center.
- Appearance: it should look golden brown all over, not just around the edges.
As for preventing the bread from sticking when you remove it from the pan, definitely keep using the Baker’s Secret spray. You could also line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit the pan. I always use parchment paper as a liner to keep cakes from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Lastly, you could run a knife gently around the edges of the pan before you remove the zucchini bread to help loosen it before you take it out.
I should mention that you do not want to try to remove the zucchini bread from the pan while it is still hot. Tempting as it may be to want to try a piece as soon as it comes out of the oven, DON’T! It will be much more likely to stick to the pan and crumble if you try to remove it when it’s hot. Let it cool to room temperature in the pan before you try to remove it.
Good luck!
You saved me ! I was in the middle of making a chocolate zucchini bread and couldn’t tell if it was done. I did the test of pressing on the center and it was SQUISHY!! Thanks for the tip
Thanks, I probably should have let the zucchini bread cool completely like you said before turning it out of the pan.
But my bread collapsed while baking and I don’t know why? It was done when the timer went off.
Did you test for doneness by gently touching the top of the bread in the center? If it is still a little soft in the middle, it will leave an impression from your touch. If it is completely done, it will spring back when you touch it. Zucchini bread is so very moist that it is hard to tell when it is completely done all the way through. A different option you could try is baking the batter as muffins instead of in a bread loaf pan. The smaller area of the muffin should bake more evenly and quickly. Good luck!
I heard of you mix it fast or too much the air bubbles are gone and it will cause it to fall in the middle. That is what I found when I googled it. I bake approx 7 loaves a week and about half dont fall in the middle. Any thoughts?
Yes, that makes sense: overmixing the batter can create a number of problems, so it’s always best to stir the mixture gently and stir just until the wet & dry ingredients are fully combined. No need to mix it any more than that. I’m curious if you have found any “foolproof” way to prevent your zucchini bread from falling in the middle – since you said about half the loaves you bake don’t fall in the middle. Do you know what tips & tricks are working for you when the bread doesn’t fall? Thanks for your question!