Easy Oatmeal Blueberry Bread (Quick Bread Recipe) | foodiecrush.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret for mixing quick breads? ›

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients all at once. Using a wooden spoon, mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened, 15 to 20 light strokes. There should be some small lumps. Overmixing can cause quick breads to be tough, bake unevenly or cause elongated holes (or tunnels).

Quick breads are typically mixed by hand, and it's important not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can cause the gluten in the flour to develop, resulting in a tough and chewy bread. Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined, and then stop. If there are a few lumps in the batter, that's okay.

Quick breads use the chemical leavening agents of baking powder and/or baking soda. Baking powder and baking soda do not require time for rising, so the batter for quick bread is cooked immediately after mixing. The best thing about quick breads is that the options are limitless when it comes to ingredients.

A close, dense textured quick bread indicates the batter was overmixed, the dough was too wet or dry, the oven was too hot, or the bread wasn't baked long enough.

Quick bread batters are made up of dry ingredients and wet ingredients. For best results, mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine the two just until the dry ingredients are moistened; avoid overmixing the batter.

Baking Soda

It's used to chemically leaven doughs and batters when it is mixed with an acid. Combining baking soda with an acid produces a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide gas which causes the food to expand and become fluffy.

If your recipe has a lot of gluten formation, you may want to soften the texture by adding an egg, or one whole egg plus an extra egg yolk. If you are making a quick bread, the protein in an egg can add necessary structure. Another way to use eggs for dramatic effect is to use an egg wash on top of your loaf.

The two main quick-acting leavening agents are baking powder and baking soda Salt: Used as a seasoning Liquid: Helps in the blending of dry ingredients and the formation of gluten. It triggers the leavening action of baking powder or baking soda. Sugar: Makes quick breads tender and adds flavor.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl; set aside. Combine milk, sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla in another bowl; stir 20-30 seconds. Add flour mixture, one-third at a time, stirring after each addition just until smooth.

Almost all quick breads have the same basic ingredients: flour, leavening, eggs, fat (butter, margarine, shortening, or oil), and liquid such as milk. Ingredients beyond these basic constituents are added for variations in flavor and texture.

Which flour is typically used for quick breads? ›

Quick breads, cakes, cookies and pastries can all be made using all-purpose flour. If a recipe calls simply for “flour,” you can bet it's referring to all-purpose flour. Cake flour, another white flour, has the lowest protein content (5–8%) of the wheat varieties.

Sweet loaf breads (such as banana bread, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread), scones and biscuits are examples of quick breads. The recipes tend to perform reliably, making them great for less-experienced bakers. And because they're quick, they're a handy solution for last-minute requests or invitations.

While bread flour is the best option, it can sometimes be used if you don't have bread flour. “Check the protein content,” advises Chef Jürgen, since it can vary from brand to brand, and an all-purpose flour that contains protein on the higher end of the range, 12 to 13 percent, will produce a better outcome.

Bread can become too dry if it's baked too long, and this can add to a crumb issue. While your recipe may work wonderfully at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes in someone else's oven, you may need to make adjustments. Your oven's thermostat may be slightly off, so you may be inadvertently overbaking your bread.

Baking powder and baking soda are leavening agents that give the bread height and lift. When working with baking soda, it requires an acid, such as lemon juice or buttermilk, to activate the carbon dioxide. Add ins can include diced or pureed fruits or vegetables, nuts, chocolate, and spices.

Make it more flavorful and sticky with sugar, or soften it up with some dry milk powder. Here's how to arm your pantry with bread boosters. Sweeteners such as malt and honey are used to add flavor to bread dough. Malt, which is available in powder and liquid form, can be added to almost any bread.

Quick breads offer instant gratification to busy people who love to bake. Quick breads, unlike yeast breads, rise with the help of quick-acting leavening agents (baking powder, baking soda or a combination of both) and are generally baked as soon as the dough has been mixed.

Using fresh ingredients to flavour your dough

Fresh vegetables such as peppers and cherry tomatoes work really well in bread dough. But don't add them in raw – they'll add too much moisture to your dough. Instead, roast them in the oven to both increase their flavour and dry them out.