Sweet breads problem

5 Responses for "Sweet breads problem"

1. chefpaulette January 28th, 2008 at 1:14 pm

   Great question since it happens to us alot. First of all how old is your baking powder? Since almost all quick breads are made with baking powder, you really need it to be active. Quick breads are is in the oven for such a short time and your leavening is the only thing that gives your bread the boost it needs to rise. So here’s a test you can do to see if your baking powder is still active.

   1 teaspoon baking powder
   1/3 cup of hot water not boiling
   Mix together
   If it bubbles, then it is still good.

   Other reasons might be that your bananas or what ever vegetable or fruit you are using contains too much water. Make sure that your bananas are ripe or your carrots are squeezed out well. Always make sure that your oven is pre-heated.

   Hope these suggestions help your bread to rise in the center.

2. Linda January 28th, 2008 at 1:51 pm

   Thank you Chef Paulette. I was hoping that my baking powder was the problem. My container has been opened for several months, however the expiration date was 02/08. Unfortunately, I tried the test you suggested and the powder DID bubble. I will have to figure out another solution. Thanks for your help.
   Linda

3. chefpaulette January 28th, 2008 at 4:10 pm

   Linda, did you check your oven temperature? Get one of those metal stay in the oven thermometers. Also, I forgot to mention, when you open the door to the oven to check on the cake, sometimes we don’t realize that the heating coil on the top will go on to bring the oven back to temperature. When that happens, heat is lost and then the temperature gets hotter than it should to make up for the lost heat. Thus causing uneven baking and the cake to sink in the middle. I know it’s a science and sometimes we can never know. Just as long as we cover all of our tracks. If your baking powder is to expire in less than a month, it should be replaced. It just doesn’t have enough rising power for this particular kind of cake.

   Happy baking!

4. Linda January 28th, 2008 at 4:51 pm

   Hi Chef Paulette
   Thank you again for your time and effort in solving my problem. I will buy new baking powder and a oven thermometer. I will get this right some way or another!!! I just remembered that on this last batch, I looked through the oven window about 30 minutes into the baking process and noticed that the top of the bread was like it should be. However, by the time it was finished, the top had caved in.
   Thanks again.
   Linda

5. chefpaulette January 28th, 2008 at 4:58 pm

   Linda I forgot to ask you what kind of quick bread did you make? Does this happen to all of them? I’m just a little curious.