MAke your own bread!

MAke your own bread!

Quick breads are just as the name implies - quick to make. Leavened with baking powder or baking soda instead of yeast, quick breads can be ready in an hour - or less - and are just as homey as their yeasty counterparts. Think about banana bread and corn bread - both delicious quick breads. Breakfast treats such a biscuits, muffins, pancakes and scones also technically fall into the quick bread category, but there's something about the home-baked goods that come in a loaf format - something yummy.
While there are many quick bread mixes available in boxes in the baking aisle at the local market, they only shave a little time off the making of a special treat. You can have more fun making quick breads from scratch, and it's just as easy as a mix, truly.
Making a quick bread batter more closely resembles making a cake batter, though there are a few bread-specific things to remember. First of all, the texture will depend on how much you mix the batter. It's best to be light on the mixing, and do it by hand. A very fine crumb may be great for a cake, but it's not necessarily what one expects in a bread.
Dried Fruit Quick Bread
Makes 1 loaf

This basic recipe is great for experimentation. You can alter the ingredients every time you make it for a fresh flavor experience. Before you get started, here are some suggestions for additions:

Chopped dried apricots and almonds
Dried apple
Dried blueberries
Dried cranberries and cashews
Dried mango and macadamia nuts
Dried cherries and walnuts
Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 cup dried fruit and nuts, fruits slightly reconstituted with boiling water or hot fruit juice, and drained
2 cups all purpose flour (you can use a mixture of white and wheat if you'd like)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a loaf pan with cooking spray. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk well. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, honey, canola oil and egg until well blended.

2. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients and bring together with swift but gentle strokes. Try not to over mix. Add the dried fruits and nuts until just combined. Scrape into the loaf pan. Bake about 50 minutes. A cake tester should come out clean. Allow to cool a few minutes before turning out of the pan. Finish cooling on a cooling rack.