[citation needed][disputed – discuss] However, the similar bannock was well known in Ireland, Scotland and northern England centuries earlier.

During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the demand for portable and quickly-made food was high, while skilled labor for traditional breadmaking was scarce.

[citation needed] As the Industrial Revolution accelerated, the marketing of mass-produced prepackaged foods was eased by the use of chemical leaveners, which could produce consistent products regardless of variations in source ingredients, time of year, geographical location, weather conditions, and many other factors that could cause problems with environmentally sensitive, temperamental yeast formulations.

[5] Yeast breads often take hours to rise, and the resulting baked good's texture can vary greatly based on external factors such as temperature and humidity.

Nevertheless, in a commercial process, designated chemical leavening acids and bases are used to make gas production consistent and controlled.

[5] Examples of acid—base combinations include:[1] Almost all quick breads have the same basic ingredients: flour, leavening, eggs, fat (butter, margarine, shortening, or oil), and liquid such as milk.

[6] The type of bread produced varies based predominantly on the method of mixing, the major flavoring, and the ratio of liquid in the batter.