Soaked Banana Bread that is Actually Good!?

 

I've tried several soaked banana bread recipes. The one in Nourishing Traditions, a few around the web, and some I've tried adapting from non-soaked recipes. And I've never found one I've liked.

This is very disappointing, because I grew up with awesome banana bread. My mom's recipe, entitled "Linda's Easy and Delicious Banana Bread" in the church cookbook, is really the best I've ever had. I'm so proud of her for transitioning to making it with whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and unrefined sugar! Go mom!

I do try to make most of our baked goods soaked, soured, or sprouted, but I don't stress about it. If we want muffins and we want them now, I let it go. And I'm okay eating my mom's banana bread because it's so yummy and much healthier than most banana breads out there.

But I was determined to find a good recipe for whole grain, soaked banana bread.

And I think I finally did.

This is adapted from the recipe for "Banana Crunch Cake" in King Arthur Whole Grain Baking. I've made that coffee cake soaked and it turns out great! So why not just put it in a loaf pan and call it "bread"?

This recipe is not a replacement of my mom's banana bread. It's completely different. The banana is a little less pronounced, and it's a little more tender and less moist. But it's not dry, either. It's melt in your mouth, subtly sweet, and about as light as whole grain gets. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Notes:

• I only used 1/3 cup sucanat because my bananas were super ripe (by super ripe I mean almost black) and I wanted it only mildly sweet. If your bananas are just a little freckly or you want it a bit sweeter, you can use up to 2/3 cup. 
• I decided to make two smaller loaves to make sure they cooked all the way through, since my problem with soaked banana bread in the past has been that it never cooks all the way through.
• Feel free to try this as muffins or mini loaves!

 

Joanna's (actually good) Soaked Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 c. oat flour (grind rolled oats in your coffee grinder or blender)
1 c. white whole wheat flour
1/2 c. plain yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, or sour milk
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 c. mashed very ripe banana (2 large or 3 medium)
1/3 c. sucanat
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4-1/2 c. chocolate chips, optional

1. Combine flours, yogurt, and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. Cover and let soak 8-24 hours.
2. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour two loaf pans.
3. To the soaked mixture, add banana, sucanat, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until there are no more lumps of soaked mixture.
4. Sprinkle on baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add walnut and chips, if using. Mix just until everything is incorporated.
5. Gently pour the batter into the two prepared pans. It will only be a couple inches high in the pan.
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown and no longer jiggly when you touch the middle.
7. Let cool in pans for five minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Serve with plenty of butter!

Do you make banana bread? What's your favorite recipe? If you try this one, let me know how it goes!

This is part of: Freaky Friday, Foodie Friday, Figure Friendly Comfort Foods, Make Your Own Monday, Monday Mania, Monday Musings, The Better Mom Link Up, Scratch Cookin' Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth and Soul, Living Green Tuesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday 

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