There are a lot of people who really like bananas and so I’m assuming that they would also like banana bread, given the number of recipes one can find for it on the net. Well, I’m one of those who enjoy bananas as fruit but not in bakes. Any more out there like me in this preference?
In fact, the only banana bake recipe I have on this blog so far is for Banoffee cupcakes! That might change in the future as I am finding the occasional banana bake that I do like and today’s post is about one of them.
The schedule for the ABin5/ HBin5 group tells me I should have attempted Whole Wheat Mixed Berry Bread or Muffins and Whole Wheat Banana Bread this fortnight. I am not discussing the previous fortnight’s scheduled breads because I never went there!
So far, I have been adapting/ baking some breads from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day (most of the group do this) or from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day which is the book I have.
For various reasons, including the fact that whole wheat or otherwise “healthy” breads aren’t very popular here, I shall now be baking only from my book trying to keep to the schedule whenever possible.
By this I mean, that if something similar to the scheduled breads are in my book I shall bake those or else I will try and adapt the theme for the fortnight to “regular” recipes from ABin5.
As for the mixed berries bread, it isn’t the season for berries here right now unless one is thinking of cherries. So I thought I would bake banana bread with a local variety of some small, sweet yellow bananas I had. If you do a net search for banana bread most of the results would be for a quick bread using baking powder for leavening.
I wanted to make yeasted banana bread and found some good recipes on a couple of sites. My challenge was to adapt a recipe from ABIn5 to make the banana bread.
I used the buttermilk bread recipe that’s on page 207 of ABin5 (half the given recipe). We have become quite fond of this bread here and I’ve found it adapts itself quite well to additions. I last made an excellent Carrot Bread with it and decided to try making banana bread with it.
This time, I decided not to add any whole wheat flour (unlike my usual practice of 1: 3 ratio of whole wheat to all purpose flour) since the addition of puréed banana would probably make the bread dense.
Surprisingly, the banana didn’t make the bread dense/ heavy as I expected. My banana bread rolls turned slightly moist and delightfully soft. The presence/ flavour of banana in the bread was just there, which was fine with us.
If you would like a very strong flavour of banana in your banana bread, then this recipe is perhaps not for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for very soft and slightly sweet bread rolls, I would definitely recommend that you give this recipe a try.
The basic premise of Jeff and Zoe’s bread books is about mixing up the dough on one day and then baking the bread from it as and when required over a period of time from a week to two, depending on the dough.
Since I added banana to this dough, I have no idea whether the dough would keep for more than a day in the fridge. I chose to make up the dough in the morning and bake it in the afternoon of the same day.
You can find the original buttermilk bread recipe on page 207 of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.
Yeasted Banana Cardamom Bread Rolls.
(Adapted from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day)
No-knead Yeasted Banana Cardamom Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup water lukewarm (maybe a bit more)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsps yeast dry active
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsps butter , at room temperature
- 1 cup banana well mashed / purxe9ed
- 1/2 tsp cardamom freshly crushed
- flour extra for dusting
- butter some melted for brushing on rolls
Instructions
- *I didn't have buttermilk so used 1/2 cup milk + 1 tsp white vinegar.
- Put the 1/2 cup lukewarm water, buttermilk, yeast, salt, sugar, butter, cardamom and banana in a bowl large enough to hold about 2 1/2 litres of liquid. Lightly whisk everything together till mixed well.
- Add the flour and mix everything without kneading, using a strong handled spoon (or in a mixer/ food processor with dough attachment). I always do this by hand as it's easy and also means no cleaning up my food processor or attachments.
- You can add a couple of tsps of lukewarm water if the dough is too dry. The dough should look shaggy and be a bit wet and sticky.
- Cover the bowl (not airtight), and allow the dough to rise and collapse (or flatten on top). This should take about 2 hours.
- You may use the dough at this point, but it is easier to handle when cold so refrigerate the dough for about half an hour.
- Grease a round 9-inch cake tin with oil or butter.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and lightly dust with flour. Divide the dough into eight equal portions. Dust each piece with more flour, if needed but resist temptation to use too much flour or the rolls will turn out tough.
- Shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides while rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Similarly shape all the other pieces into balls.
- You can bake this bread as a loaf if you prefer.
- Arrange the balls of dough in the greased cake tin and lightly cover the tin with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rise, for about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Bake the rolls at 180C (350F) for about 35 to 40 minutes till done and golden brown. If you want the crust of the rolls to be soft, brush them on top with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Cool the rolls in the pan for about 5 minutes and then cool completely on a rack. Serve warm as you desire.
- This recipe makes 8 medium sized banana rolls.
I'm Aparna and My Diverse Kitchen is my ovo-lacto vegetarian food blog where you'll find recipes, food stories & photography. I've been blogging since 2007 and believe the kitchen, and the dining table (by extension) is really the heart of a home. 
Excellent Aparna.I can imagine the aroma from the oven.The combo of banana-cardamom is perfect.I think I too must get the ABin5 book.
hi aparna .did u use all purpose flour ie maida or bread flour ?
Sweatha, its not a bad book to have if you like soursough style bread.Anon, that’s maida. We do not get bread flour in India.
I have loads of banana waiting to be used up.
Soft and slightly sweet sounds just perfect to me, bookmarked!!! But I have to admit I find the thought of baking breads intimidating…
I like the idea of the cardamon being added, your rolls look great.
Rolls looks very soft. Banana and cardamom complement well. Bookmarked.
Beautiful recipe. Shall save me from double work (kneading the atta and my time!!)
I love the way you made this as rolls your a pro baker and can adapt recipes to make them better lol Rebecca
hmmmm….yum. I just tried banana bread for the first time ever..and i kinda liked it..but Im pretty sure Ill love this one too
bread looks delicious …book marked n i will try it soon ..thanks 4 sharing 🙂
That looks awesome!!! i love banana in breads.. natural sugar .. and well I love bananas in general 😀
like the way you adapt recipes. Just so you know, the HB in 5 banana bread will keep, according to Jeff and Zoe, for 7 days.
You don’t like baking with banana , i just love it especially cakes and muffins etc… love the rolls i can smell the delcious aroma from here 🙂
Wow, great flavours! cardamon and banana…yum…
Wow, lovely looking buns dear !!!
Your rolls look wonderful. I am having trouble getting my family to love these HBin5 breads. They love the ABin5 so I must try and do as you are doing and use the ABin5 book and adapt. I might be able to interest them in eating my bread again.
Great looking bread rolls, gorgeous!
Fluffy and delicious-looking rolls!!
Ottimo! Complimenti per il blogDonatella da italy
Cardamom rolls sounds delicious, wonderful flavorful one for sure.
These look fabulous. In fact I was just about to make the HBin5 Whole Wheat Banana bread but I am switching to this instead. And I appreciate the info about what to add when you don’t have buttermilk as I don’t have any of that right now. Thanks for this great inspiration!
They look wonderful and I do love cardamom… 🙂
Great looking rolls. And the cardamom is such a great idea. Going to have to try this one.
Love the look of your banana rolls. I could drizzle some maple syrup on it and have one for breakfast with my chai.
Wow, you really are an amazing baker! You really adapt the recipes well. I am really impressed! I have printed off your recipes and will try them. I didn’t try the carrot one yet. Yours sounds much better, actually!
Wow, you really are an amazing baker! You really adapt the recipes well. I am really impressed! I have printed off your recipes and will try them. I didn’t try the carrot one yet. Yours sounds much better, actually!
This stuff looks amazing – well baked! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Appreciate all your comments here. :)Thanks for that tip, Old Pop. One week sounds good. But I’m not sure if it will last that long here, as its pretty hot an humid here.Btw, all the adaptations I do with my bakes are to ensure my family eats what I bake! 🙂
Aparna, I made these rolls yesterday, and they were FABULOUS. Because bananas go so quickly in my house, there were none to bake with, so I added whoe wheat, a cup of pureed carrots, and honey to add flavor and a little ‘density’. Thanks for the recipe! I’m planning on using it again and experimenting with other add-ins.
Your add-ins sound excellent. This particular recipe is pretty accomodating that way. :)Really glad you liked them, and getting back to me about them.Here’s to more interesting rolls.
I just made these buns and they were definitely moist, soft, and some great tasty stuff 😀 I like eating them with peanut butter.
Glad they turned out good. Peanut butter sounds most tempting. 🙂
This recipe has been on my list for quite some time and I just made these and they turned out awesome, thanks for sharing!
Rekha, I’m happy you liked them. 🙂
How much buttermilk do you add? Not sure of letter combo..
I’m really sorry about that. It is 1/2 cup buttermilk. I’ve corrected the recipe to reflect that.