Extreme Banana Bread Makeover

Name: Banana Pecan Yeast Braid
Prep time: 3 h 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 1 loaf
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons milk (any variety), lukewarm; 3 tablespoons water, lukewarm; 1/2 cup mashed, ripe banana; 1 egg; 3 tablespoons butter, cut up; 1/4 cup sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3 cups bread flour; 2-1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast; 1/2 cup chopped dates; 1/2 cup toasted pecans; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (you can leave this out but I never do); 1 tablespoon milk

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Banana Pecan Yeast Braid is a slightly sweet banana yeast bread packed with dates and pecans, mixed in a bread machine, shaped by hand, then baked in a conventional oven.

You can also make it by hand or with a stand mixer. See directions in the notes of the recipe below.

Aging bananas can be hazardous to your health!

You might know what I mean if you can’t stand to see bananas go to waste but don’t like to peel and eat them when they become spotted and soft. Although they freeze well for making nutritious smoothies, a lot of my old bananas used to end up in delicious but rich and caloric banana bread–the quick type that’s more like cake.

When traditional banana bread is sitting around my kitchen, it’s easy to rationalize eating one slice, then another, and then half a slice and then the cut end needs to be cleaned up so I eat the irregular crumbs.

After all, bananas are fruit. Fruit is healthy. Banana bread contains fruit so it must be good for you. (Never mind all the sugar and fat.)

My solution? Make banana bread with yeast instead. It’s a little bit sweet but not overly much. Pack it full of dried fruits or not. Add nuts or not. Use part whole wheat flour if you like. (See recipe here.) Either way, you won’t need nearly as much sugar or fat to make banana bread this way.

This recipe is written for the bread machine (used for mixing and kneading only) but you could use a stand mixer or do it all by hand if you prefer.

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Banana Pecan Yeast Braid

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours

This is a great way to use overripe bananas in this date and pecan-studded yeast bread.

Ingredients

Dough

3 tablespoons milk (any variety), lukewarm
3 tablespoons water, lukewarm
1/2 cup mashed, ripe banana
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, cut up
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread flour
2-1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup toasted pecans

Topping

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (you can leave this out but I never do)
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

Add all ingredients but dates and pecans to bread pan in order given. Select dough cycle. Add dates and pecans when machine beeps that it is OK to add extras. OR, do what I do and knead dates and pecans into dough after you remove it from the bread machine and before you divide it into 3 pieces as described below.
When dough cycle is complete and dough has risen to double inside bread machine, remove dough to floured surface or silicone baking mat (my favorite). Divide into three equal pieces and roll each into a 15-inch rope. Braid ropes, pinching ends together and then tucking under at each end.
Place braid on silicone mat or parchment paper. Cover with tea towel and let rest in warm spot until nearly doubled in size-about 1 hour.
Combine sugar and cardamom in small bowl for topping. Brush twist lightly with milk and sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over bread.
Bake at 375 F for 25-30 minutes or until 190 degrees internal temperature. Allow to cool if you can wait that long.

Notes

To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer, add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on low to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Using dough hook, turn speed to 2 or 3 and continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape rolls as indicated in recipe.
If making by hand, combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead with your hands until dough becomes smooth and elastic, a process that will likely take 10-20 minutes depending on your experience. Place dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate dough gently and shape rolls as indicated in recipe
Please note: If you substitute regular yeast for instant or bread machine yeast, you must dissolve it first before adding to the dry ingredients. Stir it into about 1/4 cup of the lukewarm liquid called for in the recipe. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Add to other wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Proceed as directed to knead and shape rolls.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 176 Total Fat: 5g Saturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 18mg Sodium: 91mg Carbohydrates: 28g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 8g Protein: 4g