Sunken Quick Bread? Find Out Why

Quick breads are some of my favorite recipes to play around with. Although they follow the same basic structure, they have seemingly countless ways to combine similar ingredients to make something new. From fruit to nuts to chocolate, quick breads are surprisingly versatile.

But quick breads can also be a little finicky to get right.

This week, I learned about common reasons for sunken quick bread and assembled them into an easy-to-skim post at Breadbythehour.com. I did the research so you don’t have to!

I’ve Come a Long Way

When I first started my bread adventures, I didn’t have a clue about what good bread was supposed to look or taste like. I tried a lot of recipes, and many of them tasted great but looked awful. Just look at my sunken quick bread!

My cranberry orange bread was a mess to behold. But when I shared the recipe, I didn’t have a clue that my bread wasn’t supposed to look like that. A good quick bread is supposed to rise well in the oven, to the point that the crust should have a nice dome and potentially a crack along the top.

I’m honestly a little embarrassed to keep the post up.

Still, there’s nothing wrong with that recipe itself – and a lot of other people can learn from my mistakes, so the sunken quick bread stays put for now. Onward and upward I say.

In fact, here’s a marked improvement from my more recent bread adventures: cinnamon raisin applesauce bread.

Much better, right?

Gorgeous rise in the oven and a delightful split along the side. If anything, my bread could reign things in a little.

What Made the Difference?

I’ve had a lot of practice over the years, so if you’re just starting out and struggling with sunken quick bread, don’t panic. Sometimes you just need some time to get a better feel for what your batter consistency should look and feel like. Sometimes you need to grow more familiar with your oven temperatures, or perhaps you need to buy better baking supplies.

However, if you really want to know what made the difference between a good loaf and a sunken quick bread, please stop by my BreadbytheHour blog and read my latest post. I give some common reasons why things fall flat as well as ways to avoid them in the future. If you don’t see the post on my homepage, feel free to check it out in the helpful tips section.

If you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Just leave them in the comment section or shoot me a message through my contact me page, and I’ll get back with you as soon as I’m able.