From Beginner to Expert: a Chef’s Master Guide to Quick Breads

Quick breads are a special category of baked good that are leavened with chemical agents like baking powder or baking soda instead of yeast or eggs, allowing for faster preparation and baking. They don’t require the rising time associated with yeast breads and are known for their soft and light interior, referred to as a tender crumb.

Examples of Quick Breads:

• Pancakes, Crepes, and Waffles: While sometimes categorized separately, these are also quick breads. 
• Muffins: Individual, cup-shaped breads, often with sweet or savory additions like Chocolate Chips or Blueberries
• Scones: A type of quick bread that is often made with buttermilk or other dairy and can be sweet or savory and Biscuits: Flaky, layered breads, often made with butter and milk or buttermilk. 
• Cooooookies!: pretty much all of them use chemical leaveners, so technically, all cookies are quick breads
• Cornbread: A savory bread made with cornmeal. 
• Quick Loaf Breads: Examples include banana bread, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, and more. 

A word on sifting (and why it matters)

Soap is alkaline. Baking soda and Baking Powder are also alkaline, and if you eat a spoonful, you’ll quickly learn that it does indeed taste like soap. 

Baking soda especially – it tends to form small clumps, especially in humid conditions like we have in Florida. All the time.

Sifting the dry ingredients together forces the clumps of soda to break apart as they pass through the sieve. This prevents little clumps from remaining whole in the final product. One teeny, tiny little clump of soda or Baking Powder in a muffin will taste like a mouthful of soap – so remember to sift your dry ingredients BEFORE adding them to the wet.

In addition, sifting adds air to the flour, making it lighter and fluffier. This is important for many recipes, especially cakes and light baked goods.  So basically…. inaccurately measuring your dry ingredients, using too much baking soda or baking powder, or failing to sift all the dry ingredients together can leave a soapy or bitter aftertaste. That will make your muffin taste like a bar of Dial. 

Gross. Don’t do that.

Three methods of making quick breads

Muffin method (liquid / melted fat is used):

• This mixing method may be done by hand or done with a paddle attachment for larger-vomlues
• The fat is always a liquid/ melted
• Cornbread and blueberry muffins are examples of quick breads made using the muffin method. Pancakes are also mixed this way.

Biscuit  method (solid fat is”cut” into flour by hand):

• This mixing method is best done by hand.
• The fat is always a solid fat and is mixed into flour into pea-sized pieces. It is often recommended that all ingredients are very cold
• Buttermilk biscuits, cornbread biscuits, and scones are examples of quick breads made using the biscuit   method.

Creaming method (fat is creamed with sugar):

• This mixing method is best done with the aid of an electric mixer and a paddle attachment.
• The fat is a solid fat and is always mixed with sugar until creamy.
• Almost all cookies are examples of quick breads made using the creaming method.

Five rules for making excellent quick breads

1. Make sure your chemical leavener is active:
   1. Because baking soda decomposes over time, you should test its potency BEFORE you start cooking with it. To test baking soda, add a pinch of baking soda to a small amount of vinegar in a bowl. If it foams vigorously right away, the baking soda is still active. 
   2. Because baking powder only requires moisture to react, exposure to ambient air can cause a slow loss of potency over time. To test your baking powder, place a small amount in a dish and add water. Vigorous bubbles should appear within 10 to15 seconds. If the powder does not react with water, it no longer holds its leavening power.
2. Make sure you measure accurately. The correct amount of chemical leavener is crucial for successful baking:
   1. Too much can lead to over-rising and a bitter, soapy taste
   2. Too little will result in a dense, inedible brick. It’s incredibly important to follow quick bread recipes precisely. But that’s true of ALL recipes, right? 
3. Don’t overmix the batter!
   1. Gluten Development: Overmixing quick bread batter develops the gluten in the flour, leading to a tough, unpleasant, chewy texture.
   2. Aim for Just Combined: Mix until the dry ingredients are just moistened. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
   3. Inclusions and add-ins go last and are folded, not whisked: Gently fold in any nuts, fruits, or chocolate chips at the end of the process to avoid overmixing.
4. Prep is important and quick breads are… quick
   1. Gather your ingredients: Have all your ingredients ready, and if the recipe calls for room temperature ingredients like butter and eggs, take them out of the refrigerator in advance.Preheat your oven: Ensure your oven is at the correct temperature BEFORE you start baking for proper rising and even texture.
   2. Grease the pan: Properly grease your loaf or muffin pan to prevent sticking or consider lining the bottom with parchment paper for extra insurance BEFORE you start mixing the batter.
5. Pay attention to baking and cooling
   1. Baking Time: Quick breads can go from perfectly baked to overbaked very quickly. Keep an eye on them and test for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center – if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the bread is likely done. REMEMBER: you want to take it out of the oven JUST BEFORE it’s completely done. Carryover cooking is going to finish the job on the counter.
   2. Cool Before Slicing: Allow your quick bread to cool completely in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Slicing it while still warm will almost ALWAYS cause it to crumble. 

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR QUICK BREAD RECIPE:

1. Tunnels and Voids: These are often a sign of overmixing. Try mixing just until the ingredients are moistened next time you make grandma’s banana muffin recipe. Remember: the number one sin in making quickbreads is OVERMIXING. Don’t do it.
2. Tough Texture: This can also be caused by overmixing or occasionally, by baking at too high a temperature. Again. Stop overmixing. STOP IT. You are forming gluten by kneading your quickbread dough to death. Nobody likes a tough biscuit.
3. Crumbly Texture: Again, a couple of common causes:
   1. Too much fat or leavening, 
   2. not measuring flour correctly, and 
   3. not allowing the quick bread to cool sufficiently can lead to a coarse, crumbly texture.
4. Sinking in the Middle, usually with a puddle of batter: There are a couple of causes of the weirdly sinking quick bread. Here are the common ones:
   1. Too much liquid,  
   2. not enough leavening, 
   3. OLD chemical leaveners that have lost their potency, or 
   4. leaving the batter for too long before baking. 

Need to review chemical leaveners or any of the other common ingredients used when making quick breads? Click the post below.

RECIPES

Biscuit Method

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Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Course Quick Breads, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Culinary 1, Darden Restaurant Favorites

Servings 6

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

• 2 cups AP flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

For The Topping:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

• Set rack in middle of oven; Preheat to 450℉.
• Line a ½ pan with parchment paper; set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper.
• In a second bowl, whisk together buttermilk and butter.
• Pour mixture over dry ingredients and fold in using a spatula until moist. DO NOT OVERMIX.
• Gently fold in cheese.
• Using a disher, scoop the batter evenly onto the prepared ½ sheet pan.
• Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
• For the topping, whisk together butter, parsley and garlic powder in a small bowl.
• Brush the top of the biscuits with the butter mixture. Serve immediately.

Biscuits and Gravy

Is there any better way to practice your quickbread skills AND your sauce making ability than to make biscuits and sawmill gravy?

I thought not.

Muffin Method

Advanced Quick Breads

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Starbucks Blueberry Muffins

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Quick Breads

Cuisine American

Keyword Culinary 1, Culinary 2

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter melted and cooled for 5 minutes
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• Turbinado raw or Demerara sugar as needed for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425F. Spray muffin pan generously with non-stick spray.
• Whisk the melted butter with the granulated sugar till it just begins to dissolve, then add the eggs and whisk till frothy and no bits of white or yolk remain. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Mix till well combined.
• Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sprinkle dry over wet mixture. Stir VERY carefully – just until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries using a rubber spatula.
• Scoop the batter into the muffin tin and sprinkle each one with a teaspoon of Demerara or Turbinado sugar. Allow batter to rest for 10 minutes before baking.
• Bake for 5 minutes at 425˚F, then reduce the heat to 350˚F WITHOUT OPENING THE OVEN DOOR. Bake for another 12-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will also spring back when lightly touched on the top when done.
• Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes then remove from pan to a cooling rack.

Notes

Some people prefer a streusel topping on their blueberry muffin. If this is you, make this:

Ingredients for the streusel topping:

• 40 grams (4 tbsp.) light brown sugar; 
• 50 grams (5 tbsp.) all-purpose flour;
• 35 grams (2 tbsp.) cold butter cut into cubes;
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Place sugar, flour, butter and salt in a bowl and blend with your hands until you get a crumbly mixture.
2. Sprinkle crumbs generously on top of each muffin before baking

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Banana Bread

Course Quick Breads

Cuisine American

Keyword Culinary 2

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup butter room temperature
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs beaten
• ⅓ cup greek yogurt or sour cream
• 2 ⅓ cups mashed overripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• ¼ cup flour
• ¼ cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter room temperature

Instructions

For Topping

• In bowl of food processor, combine flour, rolled oats, sugar and cinnamon. Pulse once or twice to break down oats. Remove to medium bowl. Add butter and mix with a fork or pastry cutter until coarse and crumbly. Reserve.

For Muffins

• Preheat oven to 350*F. Lightly grease muffin tin.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
• In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar and fluffy. Add in eggs in at a time, blending well between additions. Add yogurt and bananas, mixing until thoroughly combined.
• Combine dry into wet mixture; stir just to moisten. DO NOT OVERMIX. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin, 3/4 full. Sprinkle each with topping.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the muffin comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.