Quick breads are among the easiest bread recipes to make. Beginning bakers can turn to these speedy loaves time and time again whenever they want bread without waiting around for dough to rise. And if you don’t have a lot of equipment, quick breads typically require no more than a mixing bowl and spoon, measuring cups, and a bread pan to come together.

But quick breads can also be finicky.

A seemingly infinite number of variables can make the difference between a gorgeous loaf right out of the oven and a sunken mess. If you’re not sure what you did wrong, troubleshooting why your quick bread falls flat again and again can turn into a headache. To help you out, I’ve assembled the most common reasons your bread doesn’t rise as well as it should.