Quick breads are breads which are prepared with leavening such as baking soda or powder, rather than yeast. As a result, the bread does not have a long proofing and rising time, like yeast breads. Quick bread can vary widely in texture and flavor, from light and fluffy to extremely dense, and the breads can be both sweet and savory. The recipes also tend to perform very dependably, making quick bread a great starter for people who are just learning how to cook.

The leavening in quick bread expands as the bread as baked. As a result, the bread often has a less complex flavor than yeast bread, because the dough does not ferment at all. Dense quick breads like biscuits may be very lightly leavened, while others such as pancakes may be mixed with eggs as well to create a fluffy texture. Just as with yeast breads, quick bread recipes vary immensely, and once cooks learn the basics, they can expand upon them for more creative and unique results.

Banana breads and similar loaf breads like pumpkin or zucchini bread are quick breads, as are muffins, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, and similar foods. Typically, a quick bread recipe will include flour, salt, shortening, and leavening, but it can also include sugar, ingredients like fruit and vegetables, and liquids. Low fat quick breads often use oils as shortening, replacing part of the oil with applesauce or similar ingredients, and they tend to be light in texture as well as flavor. Higher fat quick breads may be very dense and rich, as is the case with many banana breads.

There are a number of different ways to prepare quick bread. One of the most common ways involves mixing the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately, and combining them at the very end. The ingredients are stirred until they just come together, and then the resulting dough or batter is quickly baked.

A quick bread can also be made with the creaming method, where butter and sugar are beaten together before wet and dry ingredients are added. With biscuits, shortening is cut into the dry ingredients. In all cases, the ingredients should not be worked too much, as quick bread can get hard and tasteless if it is handled too much.

Many cookbooks have a section set aside just for quick breads, as do recipe exchange sites. Since quick breads are dependable, fast, and fun to make, they are great choices for baking exploration and experimentation. Quick bread also comes in handy during a cooking emergency, such as an unexpected potluck or social event.