Making quick breads and their related kin is easy and satisfying. You don’t need special techniques or equipment. They are generally leavened with either baking powder or soda or a combination of the two. The crumb is soft, moist, and airy, with a little chew but no crunch. The inclusion of fat, usually in the form of butter, makes them tender and flavorful.
Most of these recipes can be put together with ingredients you already have in your pantry, which means you can have banana bread or muffins or biscuits baking in the oven at almost a moment’s notice. And nothing is better than enjoying a slice of toasted quick bread or a still warm biscuit split oven and topped with a bit of butter or jam or cream cheese, along with a cup of coffee, for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
While yeast breads benefit from high-gluten (bread) flour and rough handling (kneading), the resulting gluten development makes the dough chewy and the crust thick. In quick breads, what you want is tenderness: Handle them gently, and that’s what you’ll get. For more details, see “Mixing Quick Bread Batters and Dough,” page 578.
Once cool, wrap quick breads, muffins, scones, etc., in wax or parchment paper and store at room temperature; they will keep for several days, though they taste best enjoyed fresh or within a day. Don’t use plastic wrap; it will make the baked product soggy. You can also freeze these; in this case, do use plastic wrap, then also wrap with foil and freeze; they will keep for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator if time allows and remove the plastic. Rewrap in the foil if you want to warm them (in a 300°F oven), though you don’t need to reheat them.