Dennis Weaver
With this article, you can access the following recipes:
- Cinnamon Burst Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Cinnamon Chip Banana Bread
- Zucchini Carrot Bread
You will also find a link to Troubleshooting Quick Breads.
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There's a little bakeshop in town that makes incredibly luscious quick breads. Their selection is awesome--breads like blueberry lemon, apple cinnamon, and, of course--cinnamon banana.
We want to help you make what that little bake shop does in your kitchen, for your family. So, we'll tell you how to make incredibly luscious quick breads. Quick breads are very different than yeast bread.
Key 1: Baking Your Quick Bread
Unlike a yeast bread, it takes a long time to drive the heat through a dense quick bread--usually well over an hour. The outside starts to get dark, yet when you stick a toothpick in the center, it comes out wet. It's not baked all the way through.
So, you cover the top with aluminum foil to keep it from getting darker and you're tempted to turn the temperature up.
There's a better way. Bake the loaf at a lower temperature for a longer time, not a higher temperature for a shorter time. Most large quick breads should be baked at 325°F.
Key 2: Get the mixing right
In the troubleshooting guide, you'll see that some of the problems arise from overmixing.
Unless the recipe calls for creaming the sugar and butter together, do not overmix. A good practice is to mix all the dry ingredients together so the salt, spices and leavening is well-disbursed. Then add the wet ingredients and mix only until the batter is consistent. It's then ready to go to the pan.
Key 3: And how do you tell when it's done?
Most recipe books will tell you to stick a toothpick in one of the cracks and see if it comes out clean. A toothpick isn't very precise. Use a thermometer. The center of the loaf should reach 190 degrees. Test it in two or three places rather than just one.
Remove the loaf from the pan within five minutes and place it on a rack to cool. The loaf is easier to remove when hot and the loaf is not left sweating in the pan.
Most quick breads are better the second day. Wrap them in aluminum foil or plastic and let them chill overnight in the refrigerator. The bread will be firmer and easier to cut neatly. And the flavors seem to disburse and become more pronounced in the chilled loaf.
Troubleshooting and Recipes
Do you wonder why your quick breads come out too soggy or too tough? Does the color, texture, or taste seem off, but you just can't put your finger on it?
Check out our Quick Bread Troubleshooting Guide for some answers.
- Cinnamon Burst Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Cinnamon Chip Banana Bread
- Zucchini Carrot Bread
Spice Up Your Quick Breads with Cinnamon Chips
You haven't tried the best quick bread until you add cinnamon chips to the recipe. So much better than just adding more cinnamon or a cinnamon swirl, they leave a burst of cinnamon in every bite that will leave your mouth watering for more. Don't believe it? Why don't you try it out yourself with your favorite quick bread recipe.
Let us know how it turns out!
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