Yeastless breads are quick, dense and nicely moist

What’s a quick bread? By definition, it’s a bread that does not rely upon yeast to rise; rather, baking powder or baking soda acts as the leavening agent.

You don’t have to let the dough rise nor do you knead it; just a quick mix of ingredients and pop it in the oven. What you gain in time savings you give up in light airy texture. Most quick breads are dense and very moist. Not a bad thing if you ask me.

Quick breads are usually flavored with fresh or dried fruit, vegetables, cheese, herbs and nuts, giving the bread its distinctive flavor. This is also true for muffins. You’ll notice that the tops of these breads often crack or split in the middle, giving them a rustic character.

Chocolate and pumpkin flavors are combined in this surprisingly sweet, spiced quick bread. Peet’s Coffee & Tea, a California coffee shop chain that is now opening across the country, serves slices of this bread, along with steaming cups of its famous, rich coffee.

When I re-created the recipe, I wanted to make sure that the chocolate stood alone in the pumpkin batter. To achieve this effect, I use a skewer to streak melted chocolate through the batter.

Since the recipe doubles perfectly, you can achieve two delicious treats: Make one loaf for slicing and stick another in the freezer to prepare for making pumpkin chocolate bread pudding at a later date.

Pumpkin chocolate loaf is the cornerstone to this extravagantly rich bread pudding. Chocolate and pumpkin are a sublime flavor combination epitomized here by a double dose of each. Slices of the loaf are bathed in a spiced pumpkin custard with melted chocolate chunks.

The primary bread recipe can be a welcome holiday treat for breakfast, afternoon tea or dessert with sliced ripe pears. You can make small-sized versions of this quick bread in smaller disposable containers and give them as hostess gifts.

Make sure to bake them for about 20 to 25 minutes or until just cooked through. The pudding transports easily, so offer to bring this for dessert. You just need to reheat it for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees before serving.

Quick bread tips. Replace old (more than 6 months) baking powder and baking soda for proper rising. Don’t overmix or the texture will be tough. Bake the batter as soon as you have prepared it because the leavening strength will weaken if it is not exposed to heat promptly. Test that the bread is done by sticking a wooden skewer in the center; it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes and then unmold on a wire rack to finish cooling..

Bread pudding tips. Bake the pudding in a water bath to create an even baking temperature. Be creative; try different breads like challah, sourdough, croissants, French or pecan raisin. You can substitute half-and-half for whole milk. Make up the custard ingredients a day ahead and keep refrigerated.

Pumpkin chocolate loaf

Butter and flour for pan

13/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

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