Banana Bread Mission Part 1: Banana Walnut Snacking Bread
- Amy Yu
- Jun 20, 2014
- 3 min read
I’m on a mission to develop THE most delicious banana bread known to man. I don’t think I’ve quite found it yet but this recipe is more than an acceptable first attempt. It’s light with a moist crumb and just the right touch of sweet banana-y flavor. Surprisingly, it’s also low-fat, with only a quarter cup of oil in the entire recipe. Like the name may suggest, this bread makes for a perfect afternoon snack, especially when paired with a steaming hot mug of coffee or tea.
There are a few things to keep in mind when making this recipe. Use the ripest bananas you can find because they provide a much needed natural sweetness as well as a strong banana-y flavor. Ideally the bananas should be so speckled that they look almost black (but not actually black since those bananas tend to taste a bit fermented). Beating the eggs with the sugar is critical for this recipe as it incorporates air into the batter and provides part of the leavening for the bread. Perhaps most importantly, DO NOT OVERMIX THE BATTER AFTER ADDING FLOUR! You should only mix it until no streaks of flour remains. The batter will look kind of lumpy and this is fine. Over mixing the batter will activate the gluten in the flour and you will end up with tough, rubbery banana bread. No Bueno.
Just a little note about substitutions, the roasted walnut oil can easily be substituted with another kind of oil such as canola, almond, or sunflower. I found that the flavor of the roasted walnut oil was very subtle in the finished bread so a substitution should not make a dramatic difference. I used non-fat yogurt but I would actually recommend using full fat yogurt if you have it on hand. The extra fat could add a bit of richness that the bread would definitely benefit from. I used a glass loaf pan for baking the bread but a metal or non-stick pan would also work. Just remember that metal heats faster than glass so if you use a metal pan, your baking time will probably be shorter than if you use glass.
That’s enough talk, go and hide some bananas so that your family doesn’t devour them before they’re ripe enough for banana bread. In the meanwhile, I will be scheming up a richer, more decadent version of banana bread so you can be sure that all your ripe bananas won’t go to waste.
Banana Walnut Snacking Bread
Makes 1 loaf, about 8 generous servings
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup roasted walnut oil
⅔ cup banana puree from very ripe bananas (about 2 small bananas)
⅓ cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Walnut halves (raw)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a hand held mixer on medium speed. With the mixer running, slowly add in the granulated sugar. Continue to beat until the mixture is pale yellow and lightened, about 2-3 minutes.
With the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the walnut oil. Slowly add the banana puree, plain yogurt, and vanilla extract and beat to combine after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and decorate with walnut halves, lightly pressing the nuts into the batter.
Bake for 55-65 minutes or until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with coffee or strong tea. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
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