Banana Bread
Banana Bread
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Banana bread was one of the first recipes that I made on my own as a teenager. I’m not sure how it started, I think maybe I asked my mother if we could have banana bread and she said to go ahead and found me a recipe in her tried-and-true Red Roses Flour cookbook. I made it regularly growing up, and we make it very often now. Usually there is a fresh loaf every week or two in the house. Often my husband will make it, sometimes my daughters do. My son loves to help mash the bananas I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit to give it more fibre, but it is still a light, flavourful, hearty bread that disappears very fast in my house. The only debate remains “Chocolate chips or plain this time around?”
1.Mash up 3-5 ripe bananas, enough to make 1 - 1/2 cups. We buy a lot of bananas because our kids love them, but also because we plan to make breads with them, if there are any left! If we end up with way too many brown bananas, we toss them in a bag or container and put in the freezer. Then when we are ready to bake, just thaw the bananas (they will be mushy, no problem) and mash away.
2.To the mashed bananas, mix in 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of melted butter and 1 cup raw or white sugar. I’ve tried this recipe with brown sugar, but I found the bread too heavy, though the flavour was nice.
3.In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup unbleached flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg. It’s the nutmeg that gives my bread it’s distinctive taste, I believe.
4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the banana mixture. Stir just until the dry ingredients are blended in, scraping the bottom and sides. Let sit a few minutes.
5.(Optional: Stir on 1/2 cup chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped nuts.
6.Preheat oven to 350‘F. Butter a 9x5x4” loaf pan.
7.Pour batter into loaf pan. I like to spread it away fro the centre of the pan so that it rises more evenly as the load bakes. Bake in a 350’F oven for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
8.Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out the loaf and allow to cool completely. Wrap in foil for at least 6 hours before slicing. This allows the flavours to deepen.
9. Serve with butter or jam or by itself. Yummy.
BANANA BREAD
Oven: 350’F
Prep:20 mins
Bake: 60 mins
Cool: 6 hours
Yield: about 12 slices
1-1/2 cups ripe mashed bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup of melted butter
1 cup raw or white sugar
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg.
1/2 cup chocolate chips, nuts, or raisins (optional)
1.Mash up bananas.
2.Mix in eggs, melted butter and sugar.
3.In a large bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the banana mixture. Stir just until the dry ingredients are blended in, scraping the bottom and sides. Let sit a few minutes.
5.(Optional: Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped nuts.
6.Preheat oven to 350‘F. Butter a 9x5x4” loaf pan.
7.Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake in a 350’F oven for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
8.Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out the loaf and allow to cool completely. Wrap in foil for at least 6 hours before slicing.
9. Serve with butter or jam or by itself.