Quickbreads

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Breads raised by chemical leaveners such as baking soda or baking powder rather than yeast, so they can be baked quickly without a long rising time
2. Loaves, muffins and similar baked goods that rise through quick-acting agents like baking powder, avoiding the need for kneading or proofing dough
3. Baked goods leavened with soda or powder instead of yeast, including banana bread, zucchini bread and corn bread

Etymology: "Quickbreads" is simply the plural of "quickbread", so it inherits the history of its singular. A quickbread is a bread raised by chemical leavening, such as baking soda or baking powder, rather than by yeast, which means it can go straight from mixing bowl to oven without the long rising that yeast dough needs. The "quick" in the compound refers to that speed, and "bread" keeps its ordinary sense of a baked loaf or cake-like baked good.