Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup Greek vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-
1 tablespoon canola oil (optional, imo)
For the Filling:
-
1/2 cup brown sugar (or less.. I use 1/3 cup)
-
1 tablespoon cinnamon (use real cinnamon)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Mix 2-3/4 cups bread flour and 1 tsp kosher salt together in a medium sized bowl, whisking to combine and aerate.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/2 cup lukewarm water, yeast, and pinch of sugar. Leave it to sit for a moment, so that the yeast can start to eat the sugar.
- When frothy, add the rest of the 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 yogurt, 1/2 cup mashed bananas, and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix well using the dough hook.
- Add
the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and continue to mix with the
dough hook on low speed until the sides of the bowl are clean, and the
dough begins to be elastic, about 15 minutes.
- Add the 1 tbsp canola oil and continue mixing until the dough turns silky smooth.
- Lightly coat a separate mixing bowl with oil. Form the dough into a ball and place it into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or damp cloth.
- Place the bowl in a warm place and allow to rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
- When the dough is ready, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl, whisking together so the spices are well distributed.
- Coat a bread loaf pan with oil or bacon grease.
- Flour your work surface, then knead the dough for about 5-8 minutes, until the dough is soft and supple. Work the dough slowly, or it will be tough.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a flat rectangle, about 9x12 inches.
- Spread the brown sugar mixture over the rectangle, leaving 2-3 inches sugar free at the edge of the dough.
- Roll the dough, jelly roll style, from the shorter end of the dough. Pinch to seal the ends and seam.
- Put the dough in the loaf pan. Cover it with the same plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled, about half an hour to 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F about 10 minutes before dough is fully risen.
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the bread is golden brown.
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the loaf pan, then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack before attempting to cut.
Updates:
- After making poolish for pizza several times now, 3 tsp of active dry yeast seems like a lot if you are not in a rush. The flavor of bread develops better with a longer rise time, so why not use as little yeast as possible and let it do its thing? If worried about the other ingredients (yogurt, banana) going bad, refrigerate the dough and plan on a 10+ hour rise?
- 14 October 2024: trying it with 2 tsp of active dry yeast, but still rising at room temperature. Update: it was fine.
- 20 October 2024: trying it with 1/2 tsp active dry yeast, and letting it rise at room temperature.
Rescue notes
- if the dough is very sticky after the first rising, throw it back into a mixer and add more flour using the dough hook to knead it. When it can be handled, do the jelly-roll thing with the sugar and cinnamon. Flour is food, so the dough might benefit from a longer second rising time.
Original source:
https://www.bluebonnetbaker.com/banana-yeast-bread/
