The Swap That Will Take Your Quick Bread To The Next Level

When you think of quick bread, you may think of a dense, flavorful loaf that requires no yeast or proofing, more often with zucchini, banana, or beer as the main ingredient. It's simple enough for an easy breakfast or snack on-the-go, and sweet enough to pass as dessert –  and let's not forget what a spread of butter on top will do when it's heated. It's assumed that in baking, ingredients and measurements shouldn't be altered due to science, but here is where we can make an exception. There's one baked good in particular that is almost identical to a quick bread recipe: muffins. 

If you think about it, a sweet, decadent muffin has similar flavor and texture to a cake-y, yet dense loaf of quick bread. The only real difference is the oven temperature and cook time (via The Spruce Eats). Quick breads have a larger ratio of volume-to-surface area, meaning they thrive by baking at a lower temperature for longer, whereas muffins are typically baked in individual cups at high temperatures so that they brown quicker on the exterior while remaining tender on the inside (via Cook's Illustrated).

When taking muffin batter to a loaf pan, it can pretty much bake like a quick bread would. Cook's Illustrated states that it's best to bake the quick bread until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, or 60 to 70 minutes. If your muffins have a streusel topping and you're adding it to the top of your quick bread, it's best to cover your loaf pan with foil during the last 20 to 25 minutes of baking to prevent them from burning. Now that we know how to bake it properly, what is the benefit?

While quick bread is quick, using muffin mix from a box might be quicker. All you really have to do is mix up the batter, transfer it to a loaf pan, and bake accordingly, versus mixing up a homemade quick bread recipe. Using muffin batter in place of your traditional quick bread recipe can save you time and broaden your horizons to different flavors, such as blueberry, chocolate chip, or even a corn quick bread, all with store-bought muffin mix. You can even add additional ingredients and toppings, as recommended by Simply Homemade Bread.