Make It Yourself...Quick Bread Baking Tips

Myrna and I both bake quick breads often – they’re quick, of course, no rising times like yeast breads, but also flavorful and easy to store.  I serve them for coffee time, and I especially like them on buffet tables, or in the summer with cold main-dish salads and in the winter with main-dish soups.  We like ‘em all – loaves with lots of nuts and fruits or vegetables.

Here are some quick bread helps that I’ve found useful:

- If you find that your bread is beginning to brown too fast in the oven, cover it with a tent of aluminum foil.

- For loaves with a gently rounded top and no "hard shoulders" at the edges, grease only the bottoms of the loaf pans and up the sides 1" or so – or use parchment paper with handles, greasing the same way as the pan.

- Cool quick bread loaves completely before slicing; cutting while warm is one of the chief reasons for crumbling. Even better, store them tightly covered at room temperature for 24 hours for easier cutting.  After cooling, wrap loaves tightly and store them in the fridge for up to a week or freeze up to 3 months.                                                                  
 - Cut with a sharp, thin-bladed knife, using a light sawing motion. I like my electric knife for cutting quick breads, or any breads, for that matter 
- Quick breads usually call for a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan. I usually use a 4 1/2-inch by 8 1/2-inch baking loaf pan -  I think the slices are a better size and bake through better, without sticky interior and an over baked outside crust. 

- I have a 6 cup half-size Bundt pan that I like for quick breads for a fancier look.  Mini loaves or muffins are good for gift-giving.  You need to check your pan size with a measuring cup and some water.  When you determine how many small loaves you will get from a recipe, jot it down so you remember. 

- When making mini-loaves, it usually takes a quarter less time than for a large loaf.    Stagger the pans, with at least  1” between the pans so air circulates evenly.  You may need a sheet pan under pans that are too tiny to sit on the shelves alone.

For Quick Breads:

Fill your pans only 2/3 full.  If you have batter left over, make some muffins.  Try these times; but check your loaves at least 10 minutes before the time is up.  Use the toothpick test, but also press on the top of the loaf and check the cracks, if any, for moisture.  Don’t overbake.

Try these times for smaller pans.  If your recipe calls for baking a 9 x 5” pan for 1 to 1 ¼ hours:

8 x 4 x 2” loaf pan	50 to 60 minutes
7 ½ x 3 ½ x 2” loaf pans	40 to 45 minutes
4 ½ x 2 ½ x 1 ½ inch loaf pans	30 to 35 minutes
Regular size 2 ½” muffin cups	15 to 20 minutes

Try some of our recipes for quick bread loaves HERE.