Quick breads can be made with almost anything

Quick breads have the advantage of being easily made in almost unlimited varieties, though certain flavors predominate. They can be made with whole wheat flour, rye flour, cornmeal, bran, oatmeal, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and spices.

As the name implies, quick breads are quick to make. Since they are leavened by chemical leaveners and steam, not by yeast, no fermentation time is required. And since they are usually tender products with little gluten development, mixing them takes just a few minutes.

Quick breads are mixed as little as possible, only until the dry ingredients are moistened. This is why the dry ingredients are mixed together first, so as to fully incorporate the leavener into the flour. This low amount of mixing helps keep the development of gluten to a minimum, allowing for a more tender crumb. Also, the presence of fat and sugar keeps gluten formation low. Overmixing the batter produces not only toughness, but also irregular shapes and large, elongated holes inside the bread, called tunneling.

BANANA BREAD

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

PUMPKIN BREAD

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/4 cups pumpkin

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl. Mix in the pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg and butter until well blended. Pour into a 9x5 inch loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

2 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup applesauce

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

1 tablespoon molasses

1 tablespoon honey

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans. In a bowl, beat together the eggs with the oil. Stir in the applesauce, sugar, vanilla, molasses, and honey. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon; mix in applesauce mixture until just moistened. Stir in the zucchini and nuts. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

CRANBERRY BREAD

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 orange, grate rind then juiced

3/4 cup boiling water

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup cranberries

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together flour, salt, soda, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add juice, rind, and water. Mix in egg, butter, cranberries, nuts and mix just enough to moisten flour. Do not over mix. Bake in a greased loaf pan for 60 minutes.