Italian Quick Bread — Anita's Circadian

This is an Italian version of a basic Quick Bread which is packed with parmesan and other classic Italian flavours. You just mix everything together, and bake immediately without any unnecessary rising required.

Italian Quick bread

brushed with garlic butter.

So we were in the middle of making an Italian lunch of fettuccine with turkey ragu, when we realized we didn’t have any bread to make garlic bread with. On top of this- it was a holiday which meant that everywhere was closed, preventing us from running out to purchase one. I decided to make this Italian version of a quick bread for 2 reasons; 1) I did not have 2 hours to proof any dinner rolls or bread, and 2) I needed the Italian flavours to enhance my Italian themed lunch. This recipe calls for olive oil which adds to the Italian flavours, however, you can replace it using melted butter or margarine, especially if you are not a fan of the taste of olive oil. You can also omit any of the herbs if you don’t like the taste OR even add any that you like (try cayenne, onion etc). It is totally customizable which is what I love about this. Just note that this particular recipe is very strong in Italian and garlic flavours, so don't expect it to be mild when you taste it after it finishes baking.

Before we get to the recipe, let’s talk a little bit about Quick Breads. A quick bread is exactly what its name implies- it’s quick to make. It ranges from savory to sweet and can be recognized by some other names such as muffins, biscuits and scones . The main leavening agent in their batter is either baking powder or baking soda.

Learning Time
Folding technique in Baking
Folding is a baking technique which means combining ingredients together WITHOUT beating or stirring. It is executed with a rubber spatula for liquid and dry ingredients, by passing a spatula down through the mixture, across the bottom, and up over the top. This is repeated until the mixture is just combined. This method traps air into bubbles in the product which leads to a lighter texture. If you just mix everything together, it will cause your batter to become dense and heavy, instead of soft and tender.

This means that when it is mixed, it needs to be baked immediately for the baking powder or soda to work by releasing carbon dioxide gas to aid in leavening. You can read more about the science behind baking powder and baking soda in my dictionary if you want. Yeast breads, in contrast, requires a fermentation process which normally lasts for hours. The method of making Quick breads, however, calls for the dry ingredients to be mixed separately from the wet ingredients, which are then combined using the “folding” method.

Ingredients:

Wet Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk

3/4 tablespoon vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 egg

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Bakers Tip:
Buy a block or parmesan and store in the freezer. When ready to use, just let thaw for about 5 minutes and grate as desired.

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves) OR 1 teaspoon garlic powder

For Brushing:

1 tablespoon butter

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chopped parsley OR Trinidadian celery leaves.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degF.
Grease a 9 x 5 load pan with oil or butter.
Place the milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and stir. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add the olive oil and the egg to the milk and vinegar mixture. Whisk to combine.
Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and add all the liquid.
Fold in the wet and dry ingredients. Very gently- DO NOT OVERMIX. It is OK if you see some lumps of flour. This will lead to a soft bread instead of a heavy, dense one.
Spoon into the loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.