Yeasted Banana Sandwich Bread

My favorite sandwich bread, a perfect way to use a single overripe banana.
Tender and slightly sweet, it's great for PB&J or French Toast. It works well
with a substitution of up to ⅓ whole wheat flour.

Servings: 16 slices

Author: Leona Konkel

Prep Time
35 minutes

Cook Time
35 minutes

Proofing Time
2 hours

Total Time
3 hours, 10 minutes

Course:

Side Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keywords:

🧂 Ingredients

3 cups flour

(360 grams, plus extra as necessary; use up to 1 cup of whole wheat flour)
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast

(mine was active dry)
1 teaspoon table salt
¾ cup milk

(175 grams)
2 tablespoons honey

(42 grams)
2 tablespoons butter

(28 grams, preferably softened)
1 banana, peeled

(100-120 grams) (see note)

Instructions

1 Combine all ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer and knead on medium with
the dough hook for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and tacky. The dough
will clear the sides of the bowl, but not the bottom.
2 [If you add some whole wheat flour, your dough will not be smooth. To test for
tackiness, touch the dough with your finger. If dough clings but releases
relatively cleanly, the dough is tacky. If it doesn't cling at all, add a little
water; if a lot of dough sticks, add a little flour. Mix and test again.]
3 If mixing by hand, combine dry ingredients. Mash your banana, melt your butter,
and combine with the milk and honey. Stir liquid ingredients into dry
ingredients until a dough forms, then knead (preferably in the bowl) for about
10 minutes, until dough is smooth and tacky.
4 Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and proof in a warm place for 60 minutes,
until dough has doubled in size. I usually preheat my oven for 1-2 minutes to
create a warm space.
5 Turn out dough onto a floured or oiled surface and pat into a rectangle. Fold
like a letter to form a loaf, pinching the seams into the dough after each fold
to increase the surface tension. Repeat if necessary if the dough is too slack.
6 Place in a greased 8.5-x-4.5-inch loaf pan (although 9x5 is ok too). Spray with
cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for another 60 minutes,
until the dough has risen about an inch above the top of the loaf pan.
7 Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes. The temperature of the bread will be 190F if you
take its temperature. Remove from loaf pan after about 10 minutes, and cool
completely on a wire rack before slicing. I can usually get 16 slices per loaf.