Tag Archives: Quick Bread

This quick bread is great for guests or as a present

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This quick bread is great for guests or as a present

Whether I’m looking for a gift or a fantastic addition to a holiday brunch, I often turn to quick breads and muffins during this season.

I particularly like to bake this Cranberry-Walnut Quick Bread recipe, studded with tart cranberries and walnuts with a touch of orange zest. This recipe is built to be flexible, so feel free to swap in your favorite fruit and nuts — try pears and hazelnuts for an unusual twist or blueberries and almonds for a familiar combination. It’s a great way to use up any really ripe fruit — bananas in black-spotted jackets and too-soft pears make perfect quick breads.

Quick breads and muffins freeze well, too, so I like to make up a batch to keep on hand for grab-and-go breakfasts and emergency snacks. Indeed, writing this made me want a muffin — luckily, I had a bagful in my freezer to satisfy my craving.

If you’re giving your quick bread as a gift, bake them in a fun-shaped pan — like mini loaves or mini Bundt cakes — and wrap them up in pretty cellophane with a matching ribbon.

Cranberry-Walnut Quick Bread

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/4 hours (muffins)/1 1/2 hours (mini loaves)/2 1/4 hours (large loaf)

  • Nonstick baking spray
  • Quick-Bread Dry Mix (see recipe)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
  • 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
  • 2 cups chopped cranberries (see tips), fresh or frozen, thawed
  • 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts (see tips), plus more for topping if desired

Quick-Bread Dry Mix

Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.

This mix stores nicely in a freezer bag in the freezer for as long as 6 months.

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, (see note) or whole-wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

To prepare the Quick-Bread Dry Mix: Whisk together the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

To prepare the bread: Heat the oven to 400 degrees for muffins, mini loaves and mini Bundts or 375 degrees for a large loaf. Coat pan(s) with nonstick baking spray.

Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, brown sugar, butter, oil and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined.

Make a well in the center of the bread’s dry-mix ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the orange zest, cranberries and walnuts. Stir just to combine; do not overmix. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan(s). Top with additional walnuts, if desired.

Bake until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, for 22 to 25 minutes for muffins or mini Bundts, 35 minutes for mini loaves, 1 hour and 10 minutes for a large loaf. Let cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Let the muffins and mini Bundts cool for 5 minutes more, mini loaves for 30 minutes, large loaves for 40 minutes.

Store, individually wrapped, at room temperature for as long as 2 days or in the freezer for as long as 1 month.

To make quick work of chopping cranberries: Place the whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped.

To toast walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts: Spread the nuts onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees, stirring once, until fragrant, for 7 to 9 minutes.

To toast sliced almonds: Cook in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, for 2 to 4 minutes.

Each of these recipes will make:

• 1 large loaf (9-inch-by-5-inch pan)

• 3 mini loaves (6-inch-by-3-inch pan, 2-cup capacity)

• 6 mini Bundt cakes (6-cup mini Bundt pan, scant 1-cup capacity per cake)

• 12 muffins (standard 12-cup, 2 1/2-inch muffin pan)

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Bread Making with Bill & Sheila

Everyone has time to bake a batch of quick bread

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bread

Pumpkin Bread

Everyone has time to bake a batch of 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, even simply as muffin tops (if you have the right pan).

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.

Sweet Quick Bread

Makes 1 loaf or 12 muffins
½ cup vegetable oil
1¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce (or see cinnamon-pumpkin note in mix-ins below)
½ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Mix-ins (see below)

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

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.

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.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 230 calories; 90 calories from fat (39 percent of total calories); 10 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 1 g fiber; 210 mg sodium.

Flavors:

  • Cinnamon-pumpkin: Substitute pumpkin puree for the applesauce. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ cup crushed toffee chips and ½ 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, ½ cup mini chocolate chips, ¾ cup dried cherries

Savory Quick Bread

Makes 1 loaf or 12 muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornmeal
2½ 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)

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

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. Add the potato-sour cream mixture to the flour mixture and mix just until combined.

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.

Nutrition information per serving before mix-ins180 calories; 60 calories from fat (36 percent of total calories); 7 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 55 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 1 g fiber; 290 mg sodium.

Flavors:

  • Southwestern: ½ cup diced cooked bacon, ¼ cup cooked diced green pepper, ½ cup cooked diced onion, 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno
  • Olive-herb: ¾ cup chopped olives, ½ cup grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons chopped capers, 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh thyme and rosemary
  • Blue cheese walnut: ¼ cup diced roasted red pepper, ½ cup toasted chopped walnuts, ½ cup crumbled blue cheese, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

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Bread Making with Bill & Sheila

Recipes: Savory and Sweet Quick Bread

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zucchini

Zucchini bread

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