Basic Quick Bread Recipe: Create Your Own
from https://www.finecooking.com/ by Abigail Johnson Dodge, Fine Cooking Issue 125

True to their name, quick breads are quick to make, though it should be noted that they’re more like cake than bread. These iconic American treats are delicious for breakfast, as a snack, or for a casual dessert. They’re a perfect handmade gift, and they freeze well, too. But what I love most about them is the infinite number of variations I can make by simply adding flavorings to my basic vanilla batter and finishing with different toppings (or not; it’s also quite tasty on its own).

Dry Ingredients:
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
3/4 tsp. table salt
spices, if using (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, ginger)

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup milk OR buttermilk OR unsweetened coconut milk (this will need to be reduced if using a wet add-in; see below)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large room-temperature eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract.

4 oz. (1/2 cup) melted and cooled unsalted butter [some recipes use oil including coconut oil]

Prep the pan and heat the oven: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 6-cup (8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch or 9 x 5-inch) loaf pan with 1 Tbs. softened unsalted butter. Flour the greased pan with 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour, tapping out any excess.

Combine the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, table salt, and spices, if using. Choose up to five spices for a total of up to 2 tsp. (optional) Whisk until well blended.

Choose up to three dry add-ins for a total of up to 2-1/4 cups (optional), and stir into the dry ingredients. Add-ins make quick bread more interesting, but don’t overdo it; too many extras may cause the batter to overflow during baking and can make the finished bread crumbly. Some options are:

Combine the wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the milk OR buttermilk OR unsweetened coconut milk, the eggs, and pure vanilla extract. Note: If using a wet add-in, be sure to adjust the milk/buttermilk/coconut milk or your batter will have too much liquid (see below).

Add a wet add-in to the wet ingredients (see options below) and aromatic flavoring (see options below), if using. Whisk until blended.

Choose one wet add-in (optional; if using, reduce milk in batter to 1/2 cup)

Choose one aromatic flavoring (optional)

Make the batter: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Add 4 oz. (1/2 cup) melted and cooled unsalted butter. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold until blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Top and bake: Toppings added before baking sink into the batter a bit, which means they’ll stay put. Sprinkle a topping (optional; see choices below) evenly over the batter (gently pat down nuts so they adhere to the batter). Bake, rotating halfway through, until the top is golden and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.

Choose one topping (optional)

Finish the bread: A final flourish of confectioners’ sugar or a sweet glaze dresses up a quick bread.

Let the bread cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Invert the bread and remove the pan, turn the bread right side up, and let cool completely.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar or drizzle with a glaze (optional: see recipe below). Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Glaze Recipe
4 oz. (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar, sifted if lumpy
4 tsp. liquid (water, milk, cream, fresh lemon, orange, or pineapple juice); more as needed

Sift 4 oz. (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar through a medium-fine sieve. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with 4 tsp. liquid (water, milk, cream, fresh lemon, orange, or pineapple juice) until smooth, adding more liquid 1 tsp. at a time until the glaze is just pourable; a cream glaze may need quite a bit more liquid.

Yields 1 loaf