Final answer:
Quick breads are fast and easy to prepare as they use chemical leaveners instead of yeast, which creates carbon dioxide gas quickly and eliminates the need for a prolonged rising time. They are called 'quick' due to their speedy preparation and baking time, offering a convenient alternative to traditional yeast breads.
Step-by-step explanation:
Quick breads are a category of non-yeasted breads that are fast and easy to make. They rise through the use of baking powder or baking soda rather than the yeast used in traditional bread making. The name quick derives from the fact that these leavening agents produce carbon dioxide gas quickly, unlike yeast which requires a long fermentation period to work its magic. Quick breads include a wide variety such as muffins, biscuits, scones, and certain loaves.
They are called quick because the leaveners react rapidly, often on contact with moisture and/or when exposed to heat. This is why quick breads can be mixed and baked with very little preparation time compared to artisanal breads that require a long process of kneading, rising, and proofing before baking.
While yeast ferments sugar into carbon dioxide gas to make traditional breads light and fluffy, quick breads do not require this lengthy process, making them a convenient baking option. The majority of quick breads are mixed using the muffin method, where dry ingredients are combined separately from wet ingredients, and then the two are mixed together until just blended.