Banana Bread

I love banana bread.  One of the hardest things about going gluten free has been giving up banana bread.  I keep searching the internet for good banana bread recipes, but to no avail.  So I was thrilled to pick up the latest version of the Lund's and Byerly's Real Food Magazine and find a section on gluten free recipes which contained a banana bread recipe.  The recipe claimed that you would never know this bread was gluten free.  I was skeptical, but wanted some bread badly. 

Sunday afternoon Todd took the kids snow tubing.  I had the goal of getting the disorganization under control.  There is nothing like the task of organization to remind you of all the OTHER things you have wanted to do for the past year.  AND, I did have two very ripe, very brown bananas on my counter.  So, I decided to finally go for it and try the recipe.

My standard, kid tested, banana bread recipe for gluten eating folk is:

Gram’s Banana Bread
(Penzeys Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 TB baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup butter (not margarine)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp baking spice

½ cup buttermilk

2 large bananas, mashed (very ripe), a bit over 1 cup

Opptional additions:

½ cup chopped nuts

½ cup raisins

½ cup chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees for large loaf pan or 375 for small loaf pans

Grease and flour 1 large or 2 small loaf pans.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, vanilla and baking spice.  Beat well.  Blend in buttermilk, then add mashed bananas and flour mixture, stirring just until batter is smooth (do not overstir).  Stir in any additions by hand.  Pour into loaf ban. 

Cook on center rack until done 60 to 70 minutes for large loaf pan or 40 to 50 minutes for small loaf pans.

Notes: 

My oven actually cooks this in about 50 minutes in a large loaf pan.  When done the loaf will have risen, be golden brown and no gooiness will be visible inside the crack on the top of the loaf.

Since I love this recipe I decided to modify the one in Real Food just a bit to match my favorite recipe.  Here is what I made:

Gluten Free Banana Bread
(Real Food Recipe Modified)

Ingredients:

2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour

½ tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 large bananas, mashed (very ripe), a bit over 1 cup

½ cup milk (I use buttermilk)

¼ cup canola oil or butter (I use butter, softened)

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract (I use 2 tsp)

I chose to add these optional additions:

1 tsp baking spice

1 slight cup mini chocolate chips

Or you could add what the recipe suggests:

½ cup pecans

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Oil or spray a standard loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt (and baking spice).  In a food processor, puree bananas.  Add milk, oil/butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla, and process until smooth and well-mixed.  Combine with dry ingredients and beat with a whisk or wooden spoon until a smooth batter forms.  Add chocolate chips if you choose.  Scrape into prepared pan and sprinkle with pecans if you choose using the spatula to swirl them into the batter and smooth the top.

Bake about 1 hour, until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a rack.  Tightly wrapped bread can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Notes: 

I used Bob’s Red Mill Brown Rice Flour since that is what I had and this turned out very well. 

This bread is best warm with butter!

When the kids came home and smelled good things to eat, they could not wait to try some bread.  When they saw the bread included chocolate chips, they decided to eat all green things from their dinner plate.  Everyone enjoyed a large slice after dinner when the bread was still slightly warm and the chocolate was still a bit melty.  They all exclaimed this was the best banana bread ever.  I know it was because of the chocolate, but I was thrilled that gluten eating folks liked it too.  Even days later they are asking for another slice, but the loaf didn't make it to see the sun rise on Monday morning.  Even Todd asks when I might make another loaf.  And that is a huge compliment, because his mother makes my some of the best banana bread ever.