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Can I freeze muffins and quick breads?
Quick breads freeze beautifully so bake and freeze for later enjoyment! Here are some special tips for freezing: Cool your baked goods completely. If the bread should be frosted, wait and frost it just before serving. Place coffee cakes on aluminum foil-wrapped cardboard before wrapping. Double wrap all breads with plastic food wrap and aluminum foil or in airtight, resealable plastic freezer bags. Muffins and quick breads can stay fresh in the freezer for up to two months.
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Do I have to change a recipe if I use mini loaf or mini muffin pans?
The recipe itself will not change but you will need to fill mini loaf pans 1/2 full and mini muffin pans 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter. Decrease the bake time by 1/2 initially. Check the bread at that point for doneness. Continue baking, if necessary, checking every 5 minutes.
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Do I have to throw away the oil I used to fry the doughnuts?
No, you can strain it after it cools just enough so you can haldle it safely and use it for frying doughnuts again. Pour it through a funnel lined with a paper coffee filter or double layer of cheesecloth into a container that has a tight-fitting lid. Store refrigerated no longer than 6 months.
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How can I prevent the nuts and other “goodies” from sinking into the quick bread batter?
Dust the nuts or other recipe additions, such as raisins, with a tablespoon of the flour called for in the recipe before adding to the batter. This helps to keep these ingredients from sinking to the bottom of the bread.
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How can I tell when my quick bread is fully baked?
The length of time quick breads bake varies from muffins to breads to coffee cakes to popovers. Follow the doneness test given with the recipe, usually a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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The doughnuts I made tasted greasy. Why did this happen?
Oil that is not hot enough soaks into doughnuts before a crust forms. Watch the temperature of the oil closely, adjusting the heat to maintain a temperature of 375° F. Drain the cooked doughnuts on paper towels.
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What are scones?
Scones originated from Scotland and were triangular in shape and often made with oats and baked on a griddle on top of the stove. Today scones, both sweet and savory, are flour-based and baked in the oven. The shape can be triangular but can also be cut in rounds or squares.
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What can I do to make my biscuits have a crisp crust?
Before baking, brush the biscuits with water, and make sure they are at least 1-inch apart on the baking sheet.
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What changes do I need to make when baking muffins and quick breads in a convection oven?
The temperature in your recipe should be reduced 25° F. Even when the temperature is lowered by 25° F. you can expect the food to be done 25% faster than the recipe suggests.
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What is cornbread?
Cornbread is an American quick bread in which all or a portion of the flour is replaced by cornmeal. Cornbread can be thin and crisp or thick and light and can be baked in a skillet, which is Southern style, or even baked in a muffin pan.
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What is your suggested method for defrosting frozen quick bread or muffins?
We recommend that you unwrap slightly and thaw at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed.
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What makes a biscuit flaky?
A flaky biscuit is one that flakes or separates into thin layers. Fat or butter creates flakiness by being a spacer between the layers of dough. Pieces of cold, hard fat keep layers of the dough apart in the oven just long enough for the dough to begin to set. The fat melts, and then steam from the dough forms and pushes the layers apart.
The butter should be cold when used in biscuits, and must be in large enough pieces so it will not melt easily. If the butter is very cold and firm when the dough goes into a hot oven, the layers of dough will be spaced apart as they begin to bake and set, resulting in flaky biscuits. -
What makes a quick bread "quick?"
Quick breads get their speedy name and preparation time from using fast-acting leavening agents like baking powder, baking soda or steam rather than slow-acting yeast. Types of quick breads include muffins, nut bread loaves, biscuits, popovers and cake doughnuts.
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Why are my muffins uneven in shape?
Muffins often lose their shape when the muffin cup is filled too full. Fill muffin cups to 1/2 to 2/3 full. Muffins can also lose their shape if the temperature is too high. Make sure you use an oven thermometer to confirm your oven is set to the correct temperature.
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Why did my popovers collapse after they were baked?
There are several reasons why popovers collapse after baking. Not enough eggs were used or the eggs that were used were too small. In addition, the proportion of liquid to the flour may be too high in the recipe which weakens the popovers and causes them to collapse. Too low an oven temperature can cause under-baking which may be another reason why the popovers collapse.
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Why did my quick bread become dry and crumbly?
You may have added too much flour or not mixed in the flour well enough. It is also possible that you over-baked it. The bread is done as soon as the top center is not sticky or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Why do my muffins have tunnels?
Measure the ingredients carefully. Too much flour or too little liquid can cause tunnels. But, even more important, be careful to not over-mix muffin batter. Stir the batter just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Tunnels may also occur if the oven temperature is set too high. Make sure you use an oven thermometer to confirm your oven is set to the correct temperature.
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Why does my quick bread have a crack on top?
Cracks on top of a quick bread loaf are characteristic and do not hurt the bread in any way. Quick leavening action in the oven causes the harmless cracks.
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Why is it important to accurately measure the baking powder or baking soda when baking quick breads
Too much baking powder or baking soda can make a quick bread dry and crumbly. But, also the bread can have a bitter aftertaste. If too much leavening is added the batter can over rise and then the bread will “fall.” Too little leavening produces bread with a heavy, gummy texture.
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