Banana Bread
Actually this is more like a cake but ... it sounds healthier to call it bread.
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Ingredients
300 g cake flour (e.g. Type 450 or shop-brand 'plain flour')
1 tsp baking soda (or baking powder)
1 tsp salt
115 g salted butter, softened to room temperature
200 g caster sugar
2 large eggs
4 bananas, mashed (see below) + 1 extra to decorate, if you have it
100 ml buttermilk (...OR 100 ml regular milk with 1 tsp lemon juice)
1 tsp vanilla extract
The Bananas
- You'll get the best results by using 2 ripe bananas and 2 over-ripe bananas.
- Mash the over-ripe bananas into a fine pulp (for flavour).
- Roughly mash the ripe ones into a chunky pulp (for texture).
- The optional 5th banana should be a ripe one (overripe can be used though).
Optional Extras
1 cup blueberries in flour:
- Rinse, drain, and roll them around in 50 g flour
- Quickly roll them in a sieve to knock of excess flour and set the dusted berries aside.
- Add an extra 50 g of flour to the dry mix given above to compensate for the extra moisture from the berries.
1 cup (~ 100 g) walnuts (toasted):
- In a large frying pan on medium-high heat, toss walnuts in a single layer. Do not use oil, they bring their own.
- Cook for 5 minutes with frequent stirring. If left alone then will burn and smoke!
- Transfer to a plate and allow to cool completely: do not use them hot in the cake mix.
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Method
Preparation
- Grease your 9" loaf pan.
- Turn the oven on, set it to 160°C.
Mix dry ingredients
- Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.
- If adding walnuts, put them in a separate bowl and toss them with a few spoonfuls of the flour/soda/salt mixture.
Mix wet ingredients
- Cream the softened butter and the sugar in a third bowl. If the butter is hard, cut it into small chunks first.
- Whisk the eggs and add them to the butter and sugar. Mix well.
- Add the bananas, buttermilk (or milk/lemonjuice) and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- At this stage is may look quite curdled and horrible but it's normal.
Mix dry and wet
- Add the dry mix to the wet mix, small amounts at a time with stirring.
- Stir until just combined; don't mix it into oblivion.
- If adding walnuts or blueberries, mix them in now too.
- Pour out into the greased loaf tin.
- If using the 5th banana, split it in half lengthways and lay one half along the top of the mixture, cut side up.
Bake
- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Test for wetness in the centre using a bamboo skewer or a strand of (uncooked) spaghetti.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before serving.
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Storage & Consumption
Store it in a cake tin or airtight container for up to a week. Store wrapped in plastic film or waxed paper for a few days.
If you have access to a sandwich toaster or cafe press, try cutting a thick slice of banana bread and toasting it until golden brown. Slathering it with butter and eat immediately. Goes great with coffee!
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