Quick breads!
So, after graduating from college with a Bachelor's degree in Education back in ... uh, well, a long time ago, and raising four sons, I am doing something I've wanted to do for a while. I am going back to college to get my degree in Culinary Arts! In my baking class, we are learning about quick breads. So basically, quick breads are breads, biscuits, muffins, and more that contain a few basic ingredients, and no yeast. They are, as the name implies, quick to make and quick to bake!
Quick breads are made from soft doughs or batters prepared using chemical leavening agents, primarily baking powder and baking soda. The leavening agents obviously leaven the dough or batter, but they also tenderize them and add to the flavor. They release carbon dioxide through a chemical reaction between acid and bases contained in the formula. The gases expand and causes the biscuit or muffin, or other kind of quick bread to rise!
There are three methods of mixing the dough or batter for a quick bread. They are the biscuit method, the muffin method, and the creaming method. The biscuit method involves cutting a cold solid fat, such as butter or shortening, into the dry ingredients. This produces a tender, flaky product.
The muffin method involves mixing liquid fats, such as melted butter or oil, into the dry ingredients. This will produce moist, cake-like products. Finally, the creaming method involves the creaming together of softened fats and sugar to produce a rich, tender product.
In the lab at school, which is this huge awesome kitchen with amazing equipment, we experimented with several recipes for quick breads. I made some delicious bacon, egg and cheese muffins, pictured above, using the muffin method. I mixed milk, egg and oil into my dry ingredients. I added the egg, bacon and cheese to make these soft, cheesy bites of heaven! They were actually very simple to make.
Then, at school in the lab, I made this scrumptious strawberry shortcake, using the biscuit method. To make the shortcake, I made something very close to biscuit dough, by cutting cold butter into my dry ingredients. Still pretty simple, this method is a little trickier just because it's important to evenly distribute the butter. Plus with any of the mixing methods, its important to sift your dry ingredients well so there are no lumps of leavening. I have to say, this shortcake turned out so flaky and delicious topped with the marinated strawberries and fresh whipped cream!
I truly enjoyed working with quick breads. The cool thing about quick breads is that the variety of ingredients are limitless! There are many kinds of flour and cornmeal to work with and by using
different spices, fruits, nuts, etc., the sky is the limit with quick breads!
