Recipes: Savory and Sweet Quick Bread

The appeal of quick bread isn’t merely the ease. Though you have to love any baked good that is no more complicated than mixing a bunch of things together, then baking.

But it also is the adaptability and flexibility of these recipes that have earned them such a coveted place in the home kitchen. They can be flavored with nearly any combination of ingredients, from sweet all the way to savory and spicy.

They also can be baked in numerous styles — loaves large or small, as muffins To help get you baking this fall, we created two basic quick bread base recipes, one savory and one sweet. Each recipe includes suggested flavorings, easy ways to take a basic bread and make it so much more. And of course, these recipes are so versatile, feel free to play.

Savory Quick Bread

Makes 1 loaf or 12 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons melted butter

2 eggs

1 cup cooked, mashed potato (unseasoned)

Mix-ins (see below)

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf or muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar. In another bowl, mix together the sour cream, butter, eggs, mashed potato and the mix-ins of your choice — see below. Add the potato-sour cream mixture to the flour mixture and mix just until combined.

3. For a loaf, spread the batter (it will be thick) into the prepared pan. Cook until a wooden skewer inserted at the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. For muffins, spoon the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow the loaf to cool fully before cutting.

Flavors:

— Southwestern: 1/2 cup diced cooked bacon, 1/4 cup cooked diced green pepper, 1/2 cup cooked diced onion, 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno

— Olive-herb: 3/4 cup chopped olives, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons chopped capers, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

— Blue cheese walnut: 1/4 cup diced roasted red pepper, 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sweet Quick Bread

Makes 1 loaf or 12 muffins

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup applesauce (or see cinnamon-pumpkin note in mix-ins below)

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix-ins (see below)

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf or muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, applesauce, water and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the mix-ins of your choice. Gently stir the flour mixture into the applesauce mixture just until combined.

3. For a loaf, spread the batter into the prepared pan. Cook until a wooden skewer inserted at the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. For muffins, spoon the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow the loaf to cool fully before cutting.

FLAVORS:

— Cinnamon-pumpkin: Substitute pumpkin puree for the applesauce. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 cup crushed toffee chips and 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

— Lemon-blueberry: zest and juice of 2 lemons and 1 cup frozen wild blueberries

— Chocolate cherry orange: zest of 2 oranges, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, 3/4 cup dried cherries