Wednesday, January 21, 2009

banana bread.


While I haven't had a recipe or post up for a bit, we have been busy in the kitchen. I have been experimenting with some new bread recipes. We have been soaking/sprouting/drying wheat berries and making our own (malt) flour and learning to use it. I also have found a new local source for wheat (hard red winter) and so have been testing how it works with both the standard and soaked loaf breads to get a feel for its chemistry. We have had a few flops, but have had some really great tasty bread too. I have also been testing a different wheat grinder to see the difference in a finer flour! In between all of the bread baking we have also been making some other goodies.

Today I had a sick boy, so we were home and pretty quiet. I decided to make a loaf of whole wheat banana bread. It is sooo good. I like it because it uses 100% whole wheat pastry flour, but the flavor doesn't overshadow the bananas at all and it is a nice moist bread. It also isn't too sweet, but is rich with flavor. It made the house smell amazing, too!

::whole wheat banana bread::

1/3 cup softened butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar/muscavado
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup yogurt (I used home made vanilla yogurt)
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)

1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder

In one bowl cream the butter, honey and brown sugar together, and then add the vanilla, eggs, bananas and yogurt. Mix to incorporate. The bananas should be a little chunky, but not big pieces (using a fork to smush helps).

In a second bowl mix the dry ingredients together and stir a little to mix.

Mix the wet into the dry a bit at a time stirring to incorporate. Don't over mix.

Spoon into a buttered bread loaf pan and put into a pre-heated 350ºF oven. Bake 40-50 minutes, until done. Pop out of the pan onto a rack to cool. So good served with fresh butter.


ingredient tip::
Bananas are at the top of my list to buy organic. Commercially grown bananas not only are grown in not very environment/worker/wildlife friendly ways, but the end product exposes us to a cocktail of chemicals as well. No thank you. Look for fair-trade organic bananas at your local coop or Whole Foods/Wild Oats type of store!

9 comments:

paola said...

Hi denise, it is few months that I floow your blog. I found it thank to an italian (super)mom-blogger. I became curious about you becaus I lived in Madison in 2006 and I really miss it!
Thanks for this banana recepy, I will try it!
Paola

Alyssa said...

I'd love it if you'd post some of the soaked recipes that worked out well for you - I've been wanting to try more of that type of baking...

denise said...

Alyssa - Oh I plan to! I just want to make them more than once to be sure they 'work'... :)

Gwen Buchanan said...

Hi Denise, we love banana bread too, just made a loaf last week.. mine called for almonds but being frugal I added sunflower seeds instead.. Yumm..

hope your son feels better!

Leanne Pizio said...

You are amazing! Grinding your own flour! I am inspired. Thanks for the recipe. I will have to try it soon.

Dawn said...

Looks tasty...my fav bb recipe has yogurt in it too but not ww flour...I will have to give this a try.

:)

Robin said...

I always forget about banana bread. Thanks for reminding me! My kids will love it!

amanda said...

My dd loves making banana bread. Or maybe it's the squishing the bananas by hand that she loves? Either way, a joy for all.

Rebecca said...

I am really enjoying looking at some of your recipes. We have a batch of your banana bread in the oven right now ;)