A Banananana loaf/muffin to make basically anytime.

I hoard bananas in my freezer. Gone now are the days when I needed them as an egg substitute, but I still feel wasteful if they get to that perfect mottled ripeness and don't get eaten, so in the freezer they go. While in the summer they make a great smoothie, in the winter you need something less chilly. Before I know it I have a stash enough to make several loaves of banana bread, which is delicious and always consumed quickly. Yes, I always end up making more than one loaf because I feel wasteful (again) of the oven space. Or less often I make muffins. Either form is quick and very easily adapted-- add nuts, chocolate, coconut, even sub gluten-free flour. Everything else is probably already in your pantry -- which is part of why this recipe comes together so easily; there are no eggs or dairy to worry about picking up from the store.

Easiest Banana Loaves or Muffins
Makes 2 8 1/2 x 4 loaves or about 20 regular-sized muffins -- coat pans lightly with cooking spray or line with paper.

Dry ingredients: Whisk until combined:
I usually do 1 1/2 cups (180 g) whole wheat flour and 2 cups (240 g) regular all-purpose flour because I like the taste, and the fiber/nutrition boost. 
1 1/3 cups (235 g) sugar -- again, you can do part brown sugar or all muscovado or coconut sugar.
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Wet ingredients: 2/3 cup (160 ml) oil -- coconut, corn, etc.

2 1/2 cups bananas (if previously frozen, they pretty much peel themselves thawed)

 Vanilla extract, lemon/lime/orange zest or extract, nuts, chips, etc. can go in too.

If you use a mixer, put the wet ingredients in first and mix on low until the bananas are smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. If the bananas were very ripe, you should have a batter that holds a trail when a spatula is run through:

If it is too stiff, adjust the thickness with coconut or regular milk, or water.

 Divide evenly between the pans. It will come about halfway up or a little more.

Bake loaves at 350 about 40 minutes, turning halfway through time. They are done when a skewer or toothpick comes out clean from the middle, or with a few moist crumbs. Muffins will take about 12-15 minutes, depending on size.

Store covered at room temperature -- the loaves go quickly if you leave a table knife handy. Muffins freeze well in a zip-close bag, to be thawed individually for a portable breakfast. (spread with Nutella, they are gone even faster. But not at our [still nut-allergic] house.)

hotdog buns 2.0!

I seem to pick long holiday weekends to do my potato bun testing... this will be a short post, because it's just a tweak of the original. But I do have pictures!

Sourdough sweet potato hotdog buns that are vegan (dairy and egg-free), soft and have a bit of a protein boost. I incorporated some tweaks from last time: besan flour, which is ground-up beans, has 7 grams of protein per ounce, and a nice pale gold color; sweet potatoes, which aside from giving the dough color, provide a bit more moisture and sweetness; freshly-fed active sourdough starter and reduced amount of yeast; and white whole wheat flour and high-gluten flour.
The tweaked proportions:
Make Sponge: Mix together in a mixer bowl:

150 g. cooking water, 10 g. dry yeast, 100 g. besan flour, 100 g. white whole wheat flour.
Let sit at least an hour. Add:

300 g. high-gluten flour
100 g. white whole wheat flour
Mix just until incorporated, then let rest 20 minutes. Add:

365 g. active starter (6 hours after feeding)
365 g. mashed boiled sweet potato (two medium-sized potatoes)
60 g. kosher margarine
15 g. salt
50 g. dark brown sugar
Switch to the dough hook and mix 10 minutes on low speed. At first it will look too wet, but as the moisture distributes and the gluten develops, the dough will come together round the hook and clean itself off the bowl. If it doesn't after about 5 minutes, add a handful more of either white or whole wheat flour.
Once it's smooth and silky and passes the windowpane test, round it out and cooking spray the top or brush with margarine. Cover and let rise 2 hours, turn out and give two 3-folds, then let rise another 2 hours (or what I did: ferment 1 hour, 2 3-folds, then overnight in the fridge.)

We made mostly hot dog buns, 75 g. each, but also two burger buns (4 ounces/ 113 g. each) and two soft pretzels.

Let them rise, covered with a towel... 

it only took about 30 minutes -- they should just touch....

and into the oven. 

Bake at 360 until nicely golden.

Look how yummy and golden!!!

Nice and soft, but substantial enough to hold up against juicy burgers and condiments. The buns, minus two which we just had to sample, get to live in the freezer for hot lunches... yum!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread, with whole wheat and sourdough.

What have we here? (Mother's on the scale)

Ingredients for the preferment: part of the flour, milk, part of the yeast, raw sugar.

Whisked well together... not too liquid but smooth.

In goes Mother, whisk that in well.

Measuring out the rest of the ingredients for the "blanket": the remaining flour, salt, sugar, the remaining yeast.

Pour it on top but don't mix in. Cover and let it rise (meanwhile, go to the store for raisins and stuff to make a salad lunch) 

All risen! see how it's poked up through the blanket. Stir the blanket in with a spatula.

Add the rest of the ingredients: raisins, cinnamon and coconut oil. Mix with the hook until it's picked itself up off the sides and makes a satisfactory slap-slap sound. 

Knead a bit on the counter if you like, until it's nice and smooth. Put a bit more oil into the mixer bowl.

Drop the dough back in, cover and let it rise.

Oooooh, it's gotten big! See how much nearer it is to the rim of the bowl.

Knock it down, then divide in two equal pieces.

 Make a rectangle as wide as the pan and about twice as long.

Roll down a third, pinching at the fold.

Roll up to the end, pinching the seam closed.

Push the side of your hand in at an angle, making flaps.

Pinch up and seal the flaps -- this makes a nice firm short end that is not too skimpy for sandwiches.

Put each into the oiled pans. It should touch the short ends but don't worry if it doesn't touch the long sides. Let them rise until they come up above the pan side. When they are level with the top, start to preheat the oven.

Ready to bake!

The final product -- how yummy! Between the three of us we finished half a loaf while it was still warm.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread!! I decided to rope K into making some replenishments for her lunchbox. While I'm reconciled to making croissants, I was pleasantly surprised to have her agree to cinnamon raisin bread, that was safe for P as well.
Jumping-off point was The Bread Bible, with a few changes: soy milk, or whatever milk they drink, and coconut oil instead of the dairy originals; raw sugar instead of honey; a starring role for Mother, my sourdough; a little whole wheat, and more raisins.
As pretty as swirl bread is, I really don't like when there is a huge gap in the slice -- known as shelling. So instead of sprinkling on the raisins and cinnamon when rolling up, we added them directly to the dough.
Nom nom nom.