Tips for Better Quick Breads

There are two ways to judge doneness in quick breads. Fully baked items should feel springy and resilient when the center is gently pressed. If your finger leaves an impression—or if the center jiggles—the item is not done. This works best with biscuits, scones, and loaf-style quick breads. The other option is to insert a skewer or toothpick into the center of the item; it should emerge fairly clean, with perhaps just a few crumbs attached. If you see moist batter, the item needs to bake longer. This test works well with muffins and loaf breads.

It’s commonly taught that if you are making a half batch of muffins or cupcakes, you should fill the empty cups with water. This serves two functions: preventing the pan from warping, and acting as a “heat sink” to ensure that muffins next to empty cups heat evenly (avoiding stunted growth or spotty browning). Sounds good, but in our tests we found that it makes no difference whether you fill the empty cups with water. Go ahead and fill six cups, leaving the others empty. The muffins will turn out just fine.

A recipe that yields 12 muffins can generally be converted to yield 36 mini muffins. Simply fill each cup in the mini muffin tins with a scant 2 tablespoons of batter and bake as directed, reducing the baking time to 10 to 15 minutes.

Mini loaf pans come in many forms, from the connected four-loaf pans available in gourmet shops and specialty catalogs to inexpensive decorative pans and the disposable aluminum pans available at just about every supermarket. These pans turn out small loaves that make great gifts for friends and neighbors, especially around the holidays. Most of these pans hold 2 cups of batter. A standard loaf-style quick bread recipe will make four mini loaves. Simply divide the batter evenly among four greased 2-cup loaf pans and bake as directed, reducing the baking time to about 35 minutes.

Cornbread, banana bread, cranberry-nut bread, and date-nut bread can all be turned into muffins. Prepare the batter as directed and portion it into a greased standard 12-cup muffin tin. Bake on the middle rack at the oven temperature specified in the recipe. The muffins will be done in a little less than half the time it takes to bake the original loaf version. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, the muffins are done. For even baking, rotate the muffin tin halfway through the baking time.

Most leftover biscuits, scones, and muffins can be stored in a zipper-lock bag at room temperature for up to three days. If the leftover quick breads include perishable flavorings like bacon, it is best to refrigerate them, but in general the refrigerator causes baked goods to dry out and so is not our first choice for storage. When ready to serve, refresh quick breads by placing them on a baking sheet and warming them in a 300-degree oven for about 10 minutes.