Month: May 2024

On my banana bread journey:

Bread 8: June 22, 2024

• Bringing this to a banana bread showdown tomorrow.
• Used the microwave 5 mins and reduced banana liquid technique
• Very active sourdough
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Result: 1.5 hours to finish cooking. Will come back with results

Bread 7: June 15, 2024

• Adjusted ratios to 3 bananas (all we had left).
• Used the ratios to sub milk in for sourdough.
• Result: it didn’t rise as much, but it was really good!! It has good depth in it and is very moist. Compared side by side, sourdough banana bread is better. I would like to work more with this in the future as it takes a lot less time.

Bread 6: June 14, 2024

• Increased 375g > 575g banana, 3 > 5 bananas
• Bananas dotted ripe but not black, so probably less sweet
• Sourdough left out one night and fed almost 2 days to get active
• Result: took 1.5 hours to finish baking. I put foil on top to prevent yellowing too much. This is the saddest I’ve been in a long time. I was baking with Cuong and wanted to get my bread out of pan quickly so he could use it. I didn’t let it cool for the 20 minutes like I should have. The bread broke apart coming out. So sad. The taste was delicious. VERY MOIST.

Bread 5: baked June 1, 2024

• Not enough banana: 350g (~ 3 bananas) instead of 375g, so reducing everything else to 93%
• Sugar 102g instead of 110g + reduce 5% sugar =97g
• Mix of Vanilla extract (ran out) + Bourbon vanilla
• Did not sift dry mix to see if I can get away with it, but mixed it thoroughly to make sure baking soda is dispersed.
• Sourdough not super active.
• Result: The bread rose very well, moist enough
• Next time to try: more bananas, less sugar
• Eventual future to try:
  • Use 1 stick butter (account for higher butter to oil ratio: .5 cup butter is 3/8 cup of oil)
  • Reduce even more sugar, add more banana (~7 bananas)
  • Use yogurt
  • Try airfryer
  • ½ cup chocolate
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 2 tbsps sour cream
  • 350 degrees 30 mins for 2 8in cake pan

Bread 4: baked May 28, 2024

• Added 100g extra of bananas (change: 375 g to 475 g of bananas).
• Measured the oil in cups instead on the scale; this cut down about 30ml of oil… oops :).
• I forgot to sift the flour, so I mixed it more carefully to not have clumps of flour.
• Lowered heat to 355 F
• Used bourbon vanilla extract
• Result: I was worried that it would overflow so I put it in two pans. It was very moist. Tasted sweeter than usual, but my friend Sel said it was the perfect “not too sweet.”
• Next changes: Lower sugar.
• Eventual future to try:
  • Use butter (higher butter to oil ratio)
  • Reduce even more sugar, add more banana
  • Use yogurt
  • Try airfryer

Bread 3: baked May 25, 2024

• Went back to oil, to see if it will be better.
• I did not mix the oil in enough so it looks crusty on the outside where it crisps up.
• Left frozen bananas out and it had thawed; I dumped the banana juice out instead of keeping it
• Will be taking this today to a family potluck! Looking forward to trying it.
• Result: The bread needed more banana taste, and can be more moist. I expect this is because I didn’t get the banana extract in the mixture. There was oil caked on the outside and the top of the bread was too brown.
• Next changes:
  • Lower heat
  • Add bananas
  • Mix the banana mixture to better incorporate the oil

Bread 2: baked May 23, 2024

• Swapped out butter with oil.
• Not intentional, but I ran out of all purpose flour, so had to buy a batch from Costco.
• The sourdough was also overrisen.
• I did not mix the dough enough, so it feels like some parts of the bread is doughie.
• Result: The bread did not rise as much. It came out drier and doughier than I would have liked, but still quite good. I noted to try to go back to oil in the next bread run to see if it changes anything.
• Next changes:
  • Make sure banana’s cooked
  • Go back to oil
  • Get sourdough at bubbly timing
  • Remember to take pictures 🙂

Bread 1: baked May 18, 2024

• Cut recipe sugar in half to get that “not too sweet” compliment from Vietnamese moms.
• Perfect loaf, rose magnificently.

Recipe in Progress:

Ingredients

• Butter, for coating the pan
• 575 g overripe bananas (appx. 2 1/3 cups lightly smashed)
• 105 g (appx. 2/3 cups of lightly packed) light or dark brown sugar
• 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 100 g (appx. 1/2 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter (without sourdough: Increase the milk to 125 ml (1/2 cup) total.)
• 250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 125ml (1/2 cup) canola oil
• 60ml (1/4 cup) milk

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 360 F.
2. Lightly coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter.
3. Add the bananas, sugar, and vanilla to a bowl. Cream with hand whisk (some small lumps of banana are okay).
4. Add the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Add the sourdough starter.
5. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl. Working in batches, add this to the banana mixture.
6. Add the milk and oil and mix until just combined. Do not over do it; the banana bread will be tough.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). Transfer to the oven.
8. Bake 60- 65 minutes (for the standard 9×5-inch pan), until rich golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cover with foil if the loaf browns too quickly.
9. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.