Quick Breads...

This information is from the AMERICAN WOMAN cookbook published in 1940

                         QUICK BREADS

    Quick breads are those breads or bread-like mixture which are made up and baked at once. The essentials of quick breads are a liquid and flour. When leavening agents are used they act quickly and make the mixture light without a long period of waiting.
    Quick breads maybe improved in flavor and texture by the addition of salt, sugar,eggs, shortening , etc., in various combinations and proportions. Shortening and eggs contributes liquid to the mixture , which explains apparent discrepancies in proportions given in various recipes of quick breads.
     Ready to use flours----Prepared flours which contain leavening and other ingredients require only milk or water to make excellent griddle cakes. The addition of eggs and shortening produces a batter suitable for muffins, waffles and quick breads.


                              TYPES OF QUICK BREADS

    There are four types of quick breads---the pour batter, the drop batter, the soft dough and the stiff dough; the latter is seldom used.
     THE POUR of Thin batter will pour easily from a spoon or pitcher and can vary in degree of thinness. The breakfast puff and the popover mixtures are examples of the thinnest batter, while the griddle-cake and the waffle mixtures are examples of a thicker pour batter.
THE DROP, or THICK batter does not pour readily, but drops in a soft moist mass from a spoon or must be shaken or helped free from it. Muffins and fritters are examples of the drop batter.
   THE SOFT DOUGH can be handled more or less easily. Biscuits and some cookies mixtures are examples of the soft dough..( oooo   cookies)
   THE STIFF DOUGH can be handled easily, and some force must be used to roll it out. The Southern beaten biscuits and noodles are examples of the stiff dough.....

     APPROXIMATE PROPORTIONS of LIQUIDS to FLOUR  in MAKING  QUICK BREADS

Pour  or thin batter---use 1cup of liquid with 1-1 1/2 cups flour
DROP OR THick batter---use 1 cup liquid to 1 1/2 -2 cups flour
SOFT dough--use 1 cup liquid with 2 -2 1/2 cups flour
STIFF dough---use 1 cup liquid with 4-5 cups flour

               METHODS OF MIXING QUICK BREADS

MUFFIN Method---This method is usually used for the batter type of quick breads. The dry ingredients are mixed and sifted, then the liquid and egg( if used) are added, either separately or combine. When well mixed, the melted shortening is beaten in.( Love muffins)
CAKE Method---This method is used for the richer muffins. The shortening is creamed, the sugar is stirred in , then the beaten egg added. The rest of the ingredients are mixed and sifted and added gradually to the first mixture alternately with the liquid.(   yummy ,I love cake.....)
BISCUIT Method---The dry ingredients are mixed and sifted and the shortening cut in with knives or worked in with the tips of the fingers, it being necessary to keep the fat hard until the dough goes into the oven. If the shortening becomes warm, or is melted, the result is not flaky and flakiness should be a characteristic of biscuits( inclue gravy with this and im there)
POPOVER Mixtures should be thoroughly beaten with an egg-beater for several minutes ,in order to introduce as much air as possible and to break the liquid present into tiny droplets. The mixture being very thin, will not hold air very long, so it should be poured iummediately into the baking containers, which maybe of tin, glass, aluminum, earthenware, iron or steel. If metal containers are used, they should be hot when the batter is poured into them so that the baki ng may begin as soon as the pans are put into oven. A hot oven is needed at first and until batter has risen to full height, then the temp should be reduced in order to prevent burning.
FOR GRiddle -cakes and WAFFLES the griddles and irons should stand perfectly level; then if the batter is poured steadily from a pitcher or from the tip of a large spoon it will spread itself evenly.
Muffin mixtures and Similar batters should be stirred and beaten only enough to combine ingredients thoroughly and produce smoothness of texture. The muffins should be baked at once.
SOFT dough should be handled as little as possible and kneaded only enough to make a smooth surface, free from dry flour. Much kneading develops a stretchiness in the dough which detracts from the flakiness. The dough should be rolled or patted out to 1/2 inch or more in thickness if thick, soft biscuits are desired, or rolled out to 1/4 inch in thickness if thin, crusty biscuits are desired. The biscuits ahould be baked at once.

                BAKING TEMPS FOR QUICK BREADS

  All quick breads should be baked in a moderate to hot oven ( 350-460 degrees)


* Remember this was published in 1940....