Yeasted Banana Bread with Whole Wheat (Bread Machine Dough)

Break out of your same old quick banana bread (or is it cake?) routine. Use those old bananas with lots of black specks on the peel to make this Banana Yeast Bread with whole wheat flour in your bread machine. It's slightly sweet with a yummy sugar-cardamom mixture sprinkled over the top.

12 slices

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 30

Mix and Rise Time 2 15

Total Time 3 30

Ingredients

Dough

⅓ cup (76 g) milk or thinned yogurt
1 large (50 g) egg
1 tablespoon (21 g) honey
½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) salt
2 tablespoons (28 g) butter, chopped
1 small (100 g) ripe banana, mashed (½ cup)
1 cup (120 g) whole-wheat flour
1¾ cups (210 g) unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) bread machine or instant yeast
½ cup (65 g) toasted pecans or almonds
⅓ cup (50 g) raisins
¼ cup (45 g) chopped dates

Topping

1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) milk
1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground cardamom

Instructions

Mix Dough: Add ⅓ cup milk or thinned yogurt, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon honey ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons butter, chopped, 1 small ripe banana, mashed (½ cup), 1 cup whole-wheat flour, 1¾ cups unbleached bread flour, 2 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast, into bread machine pan.
Select the DOUGH cycle and press START.
Meanwhile, Soak raisins or dates in warm water for 5–10 minutes so they stay soft and don’t rob moisture from the dough. Set aside.
Check Hydration: After 15-18 minutes of kneading, open the lid and check the dough. It should stick to the sides, then pull away cleanly. If too wet, add flour 1 tbsp at a time. If too dry, add liquid 1 tbsp at a time.
NOTE: Bread dough is influenced by flour, humidity, and even your kitchen temperature—so use this step to fine-tune the dough for your environment.
Add Mix-Ins: When prompted by the "beeps," add ½ cup toasted pecans or almonds, ⅓ cup raisins, and ¼ cup chopped dates
End of DOUGH cycle: The dough should be doubled. If not, give it more rise time until it is. Restart the DOUGH cycle and knead for 5 seconds to deflate the dough. Stop the machine and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a smooth ball, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Shape Loaf: Divide into 3 portions, shape each portion into ropes about 12 inches long, and braid. Place the braid on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or shape it into three balls and nestle them inside an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan).
Final Rise: Transfer the braid to a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Cover the dough and let it rise for about 45 minutes covered with a soft tea towel. OR, cover the loaf pans and let them rise until about 1 inch above the edge of the pan.
Bake: Brush with 1 tablespoon milk, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar mixed with ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30–35 minutes, covering with foil if browning too quickly. Bake at 375˚F (190˚C) for 30-35 minutes or until done. Bread is done at 190-195°F (88°C) internal temperature--check with a quick-read digital thermometer.
Cool: Allow the loaf to cool down on a rack for 30 minutes before cutting for the best slices.

Notes

Heads-up: Avoid doubling this recipe. Anything above 4.5-5 cups of flour won’t knead properly in most machines and can cause overheating. More details here.

Make Ahead: Dough can be refrigerated after the DOUGH cycle or shaped first and chilled overnight. Let rise until soft and puffy before baking.

Freezing Options:

Unbaked dough: Freeze after the DOUGH cycle or after shaping (before final rise). Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Baked bread: Double-wrap and freeze up to one month. Reheat gently.

Storage tips: Cool completely before storing. Keep unsliced in a plastic bag or bread box. Avoid refrigerating—bread molds faster in humid cold.

Directions for Making Bread Without a Bread Machine

Stand Mixer Method:

Add ingredients to the bowl in the listed order.
Mix on LOW until moistened, then knead on speed 2 or 3 with a dough hook for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
Gently deflate and shape as directed in the recipe.

By Hand:

Mix all ingredients into a shaggy dough ball in a large bowl.
Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10-20 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.
Gently deflate and shape as directed.

Yeast Tip: Using active dry yeast? Increase by ¼ teaspoon. It no longer requires dissolving, but you can if preferred.

Nutritional Information