Quick & Yeast Breads

Yeast breads often have a fine texture and a smooth, often crispy, crust while quick breads have a
coarser texture. Their crust is soft and is often bumpy.

Quick breads use baking powder and baking soda as a leavening agent and are baked as soon as they are
mixed. Yeast breads use yeast as a leavening. The dough must be allowed to raise twice before it can be
baked.

Another way to classify different types of bread by the amount of liquid produces a batter, a flour
mixture thin enough to be poured or dropped from the mixing bowl.

There are two types of batters:

 Pour batters, such as batters for crepes, pancakes, and waffles, are thin and can be poured into
the baking pan. All pour batter are quick breads.
 Drop batters are thin enough to be dropped from a spoon and still hold their shape. They can be
quick breads, such as muffins, or yeast breads (called ‘batter breads’).
 Flour mixtures with less liquid form a dough that is thick enough to be shaped by hand. Products
made from dough can either quick breads, such as rolled biscuits and tortillas, or yeast breads.

Making Quick Breads

Quick breads are usually made by one of two basic mixing methods: the muffin method or the
biscuit method.

Muffin Method

The muffin method is used for pour or drop batter. It gives a tender, slightly coarse texture.

Follow these steps for the muffin method:

1. Measure all ingredients accurately.

2. Sift the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. If using whole-grain flour, don not sift the dry
ingredients. Instead, mix them together in the bowl by stirring with a spoon until they are well
blended.
3. Combine the liquid ingredients with melted fat.
4. Pour the liquid all at once into the dry ingredients. Stir only until the dry ingredients are
moistened. If overmixed, the baked product may be tough. Bread or muffins will have large
tunnels and the top crust will peak in the center.
5. For muffin or bread, gently spoon the batter into greased and floured muffin tins or loaf pans. Be
sure muffin tins are no more than two-thirds full or they will overflow. For pancakes, pour small
amounts of the batter onto a hot, greased skillet or griddle. Waffles are baked in a special waffle
iron.

Testing for Doneness

When the edges of pancakes look dry and the bubbles on top start to break, turn the pancakes over.
Cook until the underside is golden. Pancakes should be served while hot.
 Muffins should be lightly browned with rounded tops. Remove muffins from the pans immediately,
unless the recipe states otherwise. Muffins are best served fresh and warm.

Loaf breads should be lightly browned with a crackdown center. The bread should be starting to pull
away slightly from the sides of the pan. Tap the top gently. It should be firm. Loaf breads should be
allowed to cool completely before cutting. Cooling helps blend flavours and firms the texture so the
bread can be sliced more easily.

Biscuit Method

The biscuit method is used for making biscuits. The fat is cut into the flour so that very thin layers of fat
are coated with flour. Then the liquid is added. The secret to tender, flaky biscuits is to mix the dough
with the liquid just long enough to blend the ingredients.

Biscuits can be either dropped or rolled. Rolled biscuits are always mixed by the biscuit method. Drop
biscuits can be mixed the same as rolled biscuits, or they can be mixed by the muffin method. Drop
biscuits have a little more liquid in proportion to flour and sometimes use oil instead of solid fat.

Steps for the biscuit method:

1. Measure all ingredients accurately.

2. Sift the dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl.
3. Add cold fat to the dry ingredients. Use two knives or pastry blender to cut the fat into the
mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs.
4. Add cold milk. The cold helps the fat stay solid.
5. 5 using a fork, mix until the dry ingredients are moistened and then stir quickly to blend the
ingredients thoroughly. For rolled biscuits, the dough should “clean” the sides of the bowl.

Kneading the Dough

When the dough for rolled biscuits has been mixed, it must be kneaded, or worked with the hands.

1. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board. Use only enough flour to keep the dough from
sticking to the board.
2. Gently fold the dough over in half to ward you.
3. With the heels of both hands, push down on the edge of the dough nearest to you. Push firmly
but not so hard that you break the dough apart. If the dough sticks to your hands, dust them
with a little flour.
4. Give the dough a quarter turn to your right.
5. Repeat the folding and pushing process. Knead the dough only for the time specified.

Storing Quick Breads

Quick breads can be tightly wrapped and stored at room temperature. However they will turn stale
unless eaten in a few days. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze.