Banana Sandwich Bread

Back at school, back in normal life with four classes, and four classes worth of homework. Such is life. Couple that with applying for summer internships and study abroad, socializing, alone time...you get the idea. Now that I don't have it anymore, I miss the relaxed atmosphere of interim. No cafeteria lines, little to no homework...you always want what you don't have, right? 

Anyway, I made banana bread. Probably not the kind you're thinking of. I've tried many times to make that delicious quick bread on here, but my pictures always turn out ugly or I get distracted or I just want to eat my dang bread and not worry about blogging. Haha. I assure you, I make an awesome banana bread. Come visit and I'll make it for you sometime.

Truth: every time I've tried to make sandwich bread it turns out flavorless and most likely raw in the middle. It seems I have lifted that curse. Is the secret that this bread contains a banana? Maybe it's the fresh cake yeast (which, by the way, had a totally different texture than I was expecting!). Or, most likely, I've just gotten better. Practice makes perfect. Make this and you'll end up with something almost like a Hawaiian bread. I think it makes lovely sandwiches, but then again, I enjoy adding a little sweet to my savory.

Or just more sweet to my sweet, haha. 

Banana Sandwich Bread

from King Arthur Flour 

• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 3 cups Unbleached Bread Flour
• 2 tablespoon butter, room temperature
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (or 21 g crumbled fresh yeast)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 medium-sized bananas, cut into chunks, about 3/4 cup

In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients, mixing to form a shaggy dough. Knead the dough, by hand (10 minutes) or by mixer (5 minutes) until it's smooth. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and allow it to rest for 1 hour.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into a log. Place the dough in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it is full and rounded.

 Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190°F. If the bread appears to be browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil for the final 10 minutes of baking.