Wonderful Banana Bread with a dimple on top - Recipe plus 3 questions, please

C

colleenmomof2

Well-known member
I experimented with several recipes to create a "juicy" one. And it's good but I need to add just a little bit more leavening to get rid of the dimple!

1. Would you increase baking soda or powder and about how much?

2. Also, any suggestions on adding "some" whole grain flour?

3. And, how long do YOU beat/mix ingredients for quick bread? Recently I saw someone beat the combined mixture for several minutes - I have traditionally mixed with a spoon until just combined. How do you mix quick breads?

Thank-you for your help! Colleen

Juicy Banana Bread

Makes 2 loaves

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup ground almonds (Trader Joes)

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. soda

1/3 cup brown sugar - packed

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup butter flavor shortening

4 Tbs. buttermilk

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups crushed bananas

1 tsp vanilla

Nuts (opt.)

Grease 2 loaf pans and coat with ground almond (like flour). Mix flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt and soda together - set aside. In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Add beaten eggs. Beat flour mixture into wet until just combined and then add buttermilk and lastly the crushed bananas. Stir in nuts.

Bake in two loaf pans at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Cool, remove from pan, wrap in parchment and foil and let sit for a day to develop flavors. Eat some or cut in half or thirds, rewrap and toss into freezer.

 
Buttermilk is acidic, so that usually means baking soda rather than powder.

Recipe seems to have a lot of leavening (1 1/4 powder + 2 tsp soda) for just 2 1/2 cups of flour.

I know you can have TOO much leavening. Batter gets hot and expand too quickly, then drops before the gluten can set.

I'm also wondering if the ground almonds are weighting it down.

I'd try bread flour (or just add some pure gluten) and cutting back on the baking powder.

Here's a link with more info.

http://www.drgourmet.com/ingredients/buttermilk-baking.shtml

 
i mix quick breads till just mixed

anything more and your bread might be tough

i also subsitute whole wheat flour 1 for 1. Flavorwise i find half whole wheat and half AP gives best result.

daryl

 
I agree with Daryl on the minimum stirring. Whole wheat usually requires

a bit more liquid (or at least some sitting time for the flour to absorb moisture) so I usually only do a 1/3 substitution of WW for a recipe spec'd for all-purpose.

In this case, I'd use 3/4 C WW in place of 3/4 C of all-purpose....the rest would be all-purpose.

 
Stir as little as possible, and

get the bread into the oven as soon as you can after putting wet with dry.

I also agree that the dimple is more indicative of too much leavening than too little. I think if you didn't have enough, the whole thing wouldn't rise enough.

I always use all whole wheat flour. I don't add extra liquid nor let it sit, and my baked goods are never dry or heavy. If you want to be sure, you can buy 'white whole wheat' flour. It is whole wheat, but a different variety. Or whole wheat pastry flour, which has less gluten so it's softer and the things you make with it more tender.

Or stay with white smileys/smile.gif I'm not trying to convert anyone...

 
Me too - just till the flour is incorporated. At first I thought the dimple was intentional. ;o)

 
Thanks for the recipe - and welcome! I like to add peanut butter chips in mine. My kids love it.

 
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