Banana Bread, a comfort food

[bbally]

All of us have probably had some time in the daily life where the bananas just don't get used up. Be it; no one noticed them, or the kids have places to be, or just plain they did not get eaten before they started their turn to the "brown ooze" that defines bananas having gone by there prime. And many if not all of you know the best use for non-prime bananas is that special bread that makes the entire house smell wonderful. I thought I would take you through my banana bread recipe and see how it compares to yours.



Ideally you would like the bananas to be well on the way to ethylene conversion of the sugars. Bananas have a very interesting ripening method, the produce a number of enzymes that convert they sugars to esters and alcohol.
Many people that don't care for very ripe bananas are the same people who don't like alcohol infused dishes. The alcohol has a bite to the very back of the throat that is prominent. The good news is cooking evaporates the alcohol so the banana comes through again.

This is the stuff you will need to make two full size bread loaves. 3 1/2 cups of flour, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 1/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup Crisco shortening, 4 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, about six ripe bananas and finally
a 1/2 cup chopped nuts. I use walnuts and I also toast them a little first to bring their flavor forward a little. Last the optional kicker. But we will get to that later.</p>



So job one, cream the Crisco shortening and the sugar together. You are basically making a cake icing at this point. I take this to the light and fluffy stage because I like a nice wide disposal of the cane sugar in the bread.
While that is creaming in the KA I mix the rest of the dry ingredients to insure even dispersal of them.



After I have the dry ingredients mixed and the Crisco and sugar on its way to a nice fluffy light icing. I prepare the loaf pans. I like heavily prepared pans. Comes from commercial cooking, I don't like nor can I afford something to turn out wrong. So pan prep is heavy to insure a good
release.



By this time the sugar is read and I start adding in the eggs and the flour. One egg, 1/4 of the dry ingredients, etc. etc. til it is all into the mixing bowl and forming a batter. Then I start to add in my bananas. I add them and let it mix, add them and let it mix, til all the bananas have been incorporated. Then I add the special elixir to the banana batter.



I like about 1/3 of a cup of Myers Dark rum in the bread. Adds some depth to the batter. And the taste pairs off with the bananas real well. You do not need to add this to the breads if you don't care for it. If I have a little banana liquor around I will add a 1/4 cup of it as well.

Once that is all incorporated and dispersed I split the batter and put it into the bread loaf pans.



Into the 350 F oven and on top my pizza stone. I like the way the pizza stone heats the bottom of the loaf pans. I like the heavy glass loaf pans best. I have had many of the metal loaf pans, but the glass ones seem to do the best job for me at home. Commercially when I make them I use steel
pans. But for home I like the glass pans.

After 55 minutes or so in the oven they are ready to come out. The should look something like this.



Now you need to leave them sit for about 10 minutes to collect themselves. Then you can take them out of the pan and wire rack them to cool a little more. But don't miss eating some of it warm from the oven. While they freeze
well and store well at room temperature, there is nothing like warm banana bread from the oven. Morning for breakfast is great, evening around the wood stove or fireplace with some hot buttered rum is another good way to enjoy these
bread treats.

So set it up and cut off a slice for yourself. Schmear of butter is always nice, chocolate ganache drizzle is also a winner on the breads. However you decide to top it, you will love the pleasant taste of homemade banana bread!

'til we talk again, whip out a few banana breads, with this classic comfort food you are sure to please guests and household members a like!

Chef Bob Ballantyne
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering
Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

[shakeandbake]

Very close to my recipe, except no milk and rum (for now).
There are lots of different recipes out there, and some are quite creative, but this basic bread has been a winner for me.

Single Pan Recipe

1 3/4 C. Flour
2/3 C. Sugar (sometimes I mix white and brown sugar)
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp. Salt

1/2 C. Shorting
2 Eggs
1 C. Banana (2 Large/3 Small)
1/2 C. Chopped Walnuts (sometimes I use Chocolate Chips)

350 degrees for 55-60 mins.

[pastrycake]

Hi,
I am a fan of banana bread. I have tried several internet recipes but most calls for veg. oil not shortening. Why do you use one vs the other. Also, why baking soda and powder. I like to understand the use of ingredients since mine either turns out dry or uncooked in the center and burned on the bottom.

I have added toasted coconut and chocolate chips for extra sweet.

[bbally]

Originally Posted by pastrycake

Hi,
I am a fan of banana bread. I have tried several internet recipes but most calls for veg. oil not shortening. Why do you use one vs the other. Also, why baking soda and powder. I like to understand the use of ingredients since mine either turns out dry or uncooked in the center and burned on the bottom.

The powder is a self activating chemical leavening that gives the lift or air pockets to the bread.

The soda is used to keep the PH of the bananas from ruining the baking powder. Bananas are around 5 PH depending on the type so you need the soda to move the banana to around 7 ph. Takes about 1/2 tsp per six bananas to properly deal with the Ph of the batter.

[dfrantzen]

Yumm, have you ever made banana bread with strawberries added or a pineapple jam mixed in? Oh there are so many options and they are all oh so good.

[Lisamarie]

That recipe looks great...I've never had banana bread with rum in it but really want to try it now. And I just happen to have some very ripe bananas on the banana stand right now...

[ShoeMaker]

Looks/sounds good ........but my brown bananas go into my freezer to be used in my breakfast protein smoothie concoction (half a frozen "brown" banana, handful of frozen blueberries 2/3 cup of milk, 1/3 cup of oatmeal, 2 T natural peanut butter, 2 scoops chocolate protein powder, 1 tsp wheat germ, and blend until "smooth," smooth being a relative term
My banana bread recipe is rather similar, other than adjustments made for using oil instead of shortening, and no rum in it..... shall have to try it, if I get a spare few minutes at work soon...

[pgr555]

Your pix look great and recipe sounds good! I stopped making BB years ago. Why you asK? Well about 30 years ago I had a FANTASTIC recipe. It alternated buttermilk with the dry ing., and 3 cups of mashed ban., but that is all I remember. I lost the recipe and have tried dozens of others since then. None of them have satisfied me! I gave up! If any of you think you have a recipe that sounds like this, i would love to see it!
pgr

[ChefRAZ]

no nuts on my banana bread. then slice thin and put peanut butter and jelly in the middle. yum.

[abbey]

To be honest, this is the first time i have heard about banana bread. I am fond of banana cake though and i like it very much so i will definitely give this banana bread a shot. bananas are very good for you.

[GhettoRacingKid]

I dont know mine off hand but I have a few recovering freinds so for them I dont add liquor to alot of stuff I make.

I do howevfer threw is a tsp of banana extract to hieght then banana flavor., I like bananas