🍌Bananas About Leftovers 🍌
I hope in years from now when this period of time is written about there will be a deep analysis of the two bread baking waves sweeping the nation. The world even. I'm of course talking about sourdough bread and banana bread. No two baked goods have defined a period of time quite like these.
I've baked banana bread before and wrote about it a few times. I lean towards a savory-ish banana bread with some sort of crunch- nuts or seeds. I do enjoy Chrissy Teigen's indulgent chocolate and coconut banana bread on occasion and it's the perfect thing for a potluck brunch. I'm eager to toss over ripe bananas in the freezer for just such a time.
What I haven't made before is any sort of sourdough banana bread. This recipe clearly wins points for using up sourdough discard from feeding a starter. As anyone getting into baking sourdough quickly learns you have a lot discard to build up the starter. Rather than dump it in the trash, this recipe uses nearly a cup. Perfect for a just-before-bake bulk discard or a leaven-extra situation. Between the mix of flours and the discard the flavor of this bread is mellow, lightly sweet and not as forward banana-y as others. I used a mix of wheat and AP flour, but I can see how this recipe would you can easily adjust the ratio and variety of flours.
Baker's Banana Bread, from The Perfect Loaf
240g (2 cups) spelt, whole wheat, all-purpose flour, or a mix (I used 1.5 cup AP and .5 cup wheat)
3g (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda
3g (1/2 teaspoon) sea salt
125g (1 cup) chopped walnuts (and/or pecans)
126g(1/2 cup or 1 stick) butter, at room temperature
100g (1/2 cup lightly packed) brown sugar
2 eggs
125g (3/4 cup, stirred down) sourdough starter
42g (2 tablespoons) raw honey
3 super ripe medium mashed bananas (black and mushy)
28g (2 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
4g (1 teaspoon) vanilla
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a small bowl mix a handful of chopped walnuts and a few pinches of sugar. Set aside to be used as the topping later.
In another bowl (or a stand mixer) cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. While mixing, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in sourdough starter, honey, mashed bananas, and olive oil. Add in the vanilla. Then, add in the flour mixture slowly, pausing to scrape down the sides if necessary. By hand, fold in the remaining walnuts and lemon zest. Pour the batter into the 9” x 5” baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle on the reserved chopped walnuts and sugar.
Bake for 55-65 minutes. It’s better to undercook this than overcook: you want it moist. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then gently remove onto a wire rack to thoroughly cool.
The BreadList - This week's BreadList is focused on podcasts and specific episodes I've been enjoying
A Good Eater w/ Claire Saffitz - Everyday Decisions; casual interview between old friends about the decisions made in a single day.
Call Her Daddy Issues - Be There in Five; This is a long form podcast that deep dives into the world of podcast, intellectual property ownership and just because you make it big doesn't mean you're rich.
Caroline Hirons on Managing Media Misinformation - The Eco Well; I am a devotee of Caroline and her no-fuss approach to skin care and marketing myth busting of the "clean" movement.
Aisling Bea - I Weigh; I'm a huge fan of Aisling's new show This Way Up and enjoyed this conversation about how to be proud of the work you do, whatever it is.
Humanity's Temporal Range - The Anthropocene Reviewed, John Green's soothing voice rates very day things on a five star scale.
Go make banana bread with those forgotten about black bananas in your freezer; pick a new podcast to listen to while you're in the the kitchen and take it easy on yourself.
