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Better Banana Bread

Well, maybe not a better banana bread, but different banana bread: cakier, creamier, moister. I, personally, think I prefer this loaf to the previous banana bread recipe I posted, but my wife makes the point that this recipe produces a much more delicate bread than the previous one does. For a quiet cup of tea on a lazy summer afternoon, this is the one. For a picnic at the zoo with a rambunctious three year old, the previous one is the way to go: it'll survive the transport in the car and backpack much better.

Recipe below.

This is, in fact, the same recipe as before with a cup of vanilla yogurt added. The yogurt made the dough moister, so in response I needed to add more flour. Since I was adding more flour, I decided to try using some whole wheat flour. It turned out well.

So if there is a lesson to be learned here, it isn't that this is the greatest banana bread in the world. It is to make each recipe your own. Bake often and do not be afraid to experiment. If you don't screw up a recipe from time-to-time you probably aren't baking enough!

Better Banana Bread
Makes 1 huge loaf or 3 small loaves

Preheat the oven to 350.

In one bowl, combine:

1/2 stick (4-5 tablespoons) butter, softened
2 eggs
2 or 3 very ripe bananas
1 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
2/3 cup sugar

Use a potato masher, fork, or spoon to squish the banana and mix the ingredients together. It is alright for there to be small (1 centimeter) chunks of banana in the batter, but you want most of the banana to be reduced to mush.

In another bowl, combine:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until the ingredients are blended together.

If you like, stir in additional ingredients here, such as chopped walnuts or pecans, dried cherries or apricots, or chocolate chips. A handful (about a half a cup) is about right.

Pour the dough into greased baking pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Small loaves take around 30 minutes, a normal-sized loaf takes around 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven. This bread is great warm, but it is excellent cold too.

After they have cooled for 5 or 10 minutes the loaves can be removed from the pan to cool. Once they are cool they can be individually wrapped and frozen.

Enjoy!

Related Recipe: 10 Minute Banana Bread.

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Submitted by ankur on July 29, 2005 - 9:30pm.

Re: Better Banana Bread

I love the original banana bread recipe, especially with a handful of fresh blueberries thrown in. I do find that it does dry out a little in my fridge/freezer, though (probably because it is a frost-free fridge), so I will have to give this recipe a try for moister banana bread.


score: 0
Submitted by Rodent on August 18, 2005 - 8:57pm.

Experimental Healthy recipe - was (Re: Better Banana Bread)

I've been working on this on and off for a couple years. See what you think.

Experimental Banana Bread

1/4 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Very well drained Apple Sauce
2 Med Eggs
1/4 Cup lowfat Buttermlk
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 Cup lightly mashed Banana (divided)
1 Cup unbleached AP Flour
1 Cup whole grain Pastry Flour (can substitute rye or spelt)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder (scant)
3/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Pecans
additional pecan halves and candied or marachino cherries for decoration

In large bowl cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add liquid ingredients and blend several more seconds. Scrape beaters and switch to a spoon to stir in the first cup of banana. In smaller bowl thoroughly combine dry ingredients. Add the dry to the wet and stir untill just moistened. Add the rest of the banana and the pecans, stir gently to distribute.
Makes one loaf.


score: 1
Submitted by earthygirl on October 2, 2007 - 3:30pm.

better banana bread

Thanks for the Recipe

Well I have 3 loaves in the oven and one waiting.  I did change the original recipe a bit.  the first loaf I didn't add any sugar,(I actually forgot,,,DOH!) subbed full fat buttermilk for the yogurt and used cracked wheat flour instead of the whole wheat.( I found it in bulk at a Euro Market along with light and dark rye flour).

the second and third loaf I added the sugar,  subbed buttermilk for the yogurt and used cracked wheat flour instead of the whole wheat.

For the 4th loaf I did the same as the 2nd and 3rd but added 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the wet ingredients.

I will update in 40 minutes :)


score: 0
Submitted by Chickpea on October 30, 2007 - 7:24am.

That looks like a great

That looks like a great recipe. I often make banana bread when the bananas in the fruit bowl start to look a bit too "gone" to eat raw.

I just wanted to say that my favourite way of "mashing" banana is to actually grate it on a cheese grater. I discovered this when my kids were babies (you know how babies love mashed banana!) There are no lumps at all, totally guaranteed. You can even mash underripe bananas this way, and it seems to sweeten them too. I also use it to mash avocados, again you can use underripe avocados if you do it this way. So much easier than mashing with a fork, and guaranteed no lumps.

Melanie Rimmer

www.bean-sprouts.blogspot.com


score: 0
Submitted by patchouli14 on April 26, 2008 - 9:41pm.

Loved this! esp since you

Loved this! esp since you added the info about freezing it- great info :) i added raspberries and pecans and lots of mixed spice-yummo


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