Saturday, February 6, 2010

Banana Bread


Ingredients
1 cup water (or apple/white grape/orange juice)
2 tbsp yeast
1/2 cup honey or molasses
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 cups bananas, very ripe and well mashed
1/2 tsp salt
orange zest
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts
1/2 cup packed pitted dates, chopped
2 1/2 - 2 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
Dried bananas slices, for garnish (optional)
Raisins, for garnish (optional)
Description A super recipe.This banana bread makes a delicious sandwich when toasted in the oven and then spread with nut butter on top. Yields: 1 loaf
Instructions 1. Oil baking pan. Decorate bottom of pan with dried banana slices and raisin.
2. Dissolve yeast in water/juice.
3. Add rest of ingredients except nuts, dates, and flour. Then mix nuts, dates and flour.
4. Spoon into greased pan being careful not to move the dried bananas at the bottom of the pan from their place. Note: Make sure the batter does not fill more than half of the pan.
5. Cover with a tray and allow to rise until doubled, be patient it takes several hours (sometimes up to 8 hours in cool weather) but it is well worth the wait as the bread will be lighter and tastier.
6. Bake at 300F for 1 hour or so.
7. Remove from oven. With an eating knife gently press on the sides of the bread to remove from the sides of the pan. Gently and carefully flip over the pan to remove bread and allow to cool overnight in wire wrack.
8. When cooled, slice. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days or wrap with cling film and freeze.

Note Serve with honey, and sliced bananas or spread a nut butter cream (cashew, little water, honey, vanilla and then cook to thicken) and sprinkle (using a sieve) with carob flour. And garnish with coconut flakes and walnuts.
Over ripe bananas that would otherwise be thrown can be frozen to use when this bread is to be made.
IMPORTANT TIP: Batter should be very wet for bread dough and only a little thicker than a cake batter. If batter has a dough consistency, you added to much flour and the yeast will not be able to rise easily in this thick dough as the dough is very sweet and dense. Whereas if the batter is wet the yeast raises easily yielding a soft light bread. So whatever you do make sure not to put too much flour (3 cups).

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