Sunday, April 15, 2012

Banana Rum Bread



Thank you to King Arthur Flour ("KAF") for sending me their Boyajian Natural Rum Flavor to try – it’s delicious! - and for kindly sponsoring a giveaway on my blog.*  Like many home bakers, I'm a big fan of KAF and believe they've done so much to keep American home baking traditions alive, relevant and fun. If you are a novice or the most advanced baker, they have something for you - including a wealth of free recipes on their site. And, personally, I find it hard to resist all the cool specialty ingredients and tools for my home kitchen.

This Banana Rum Bread started with a recipe from Joy of Cooking that I’ve been making for my family forever. I had to go back to the original recipe to see how much I changed it over the years – significantly! I’ve made many versions of it, some of which I will post at a later date, and this one is the most sophisticated. Funny to use banana bread and sophisticated in the same sentence, because it is such a simple, baking repertoire staple. But, the natural rum flavor takes it to a new level.

I encourage you to follow the directions. I try and not be too bossy, but this is a dry batter (pre-bananas). You need ALL the bananas called for and you need to sift the flour mixture. You just do. You can go with the lesser or greater amount of rum flavor. I used 3 teaspoons - that's a lot, but I like how the rum stands up to the banana.


I use these bake-and-serve loaf pans quite a bit for home and work. Makes it so easy to slip a loaf in a cello bag or wrap one in waxed paper and tie with a pretty ribbon or twine for gift giving. Also, you can freeze and rewarm in these (a nice thing to note on a gift card as well). I like to double or triple a recipe, keep a bread or two for home, freeze some and/or give away to friends and neighbors. Why? Because part of the fun of baking is sharing!


King Arthur Giveaway:

King Arthur is generously sending one lucky baker a set of bake-and-serve quick bread loaf pans, a bottle of Boyajian Natural Rum Flavor and a coupon for a bag of King Arthur flour (redeemable at your local grocer).


To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below telling me all about YOUR banana bread recipe or one you especially enjoy. You know how much I love hearing about your recipes and what you like! 


A winner will be chosen by random using random.org on Sunday, April 22nd and announced here on the blog. I will name the winner in the comments section below and he/she will have until Wednesday, April 25th at 5pm EST to contact me at info@sweetandsimple.com with a *U.S.* mailing address. As in the past, if you don’t contact me, I will pick a second winner using random.org.



Warm Banana Rum Bread. Yum.




*Note about this post:
Recently, KAF contacted me about using their products in my home baking recipes which I talk about on my blog. As many of you know, I use KAF commercial flours exclusively for Sweet & Simple. KAF and I agreed on a few recipes for me to try with their products. For this recipe, KAF sent me a bottle of Boyajian Natural Rum Flavor as well as a set of bake-and-give quick bread loaf pans. I was not compensated monetarily, told what to write or asked to give a specific product review. Of course, as an overzealous home baker, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to use new products at home for fun! So, I've definitely been compensated in the happy department.




Banana Rum Bread 
4 - 3/4lb/12 oz Loaves
Preheat oven to 350° 

Set aside on a sheet pan, 4 bake-and-give quick bread loaf pans
Have all ingredients at room temperature

2-3/4 cups/370 grams/13 ounces King Arthur unbleached all-purpose white flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

11 tablespoons/5-1/2 ounces/155 grams unsalted butter
1-1/3 cups/266 grams/9 oz sugar
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2-3 teaspoons Boyajian Natural Rum Flavor

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2-1/2 cups/500 grams/1 lb 2 ounces very ripe bananas (mashed)
4-5 small bananas

4 teaspoons sugar for sprinkling on breads (optional but very pretty)

Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder, then sift mixture and set aside.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, starting on low speed, beat the butter and sugar until combined. Switch the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until light and fluffy.

Scrape down sides of work bowl. With mixer set to low, add eggs in a slow, steady stream and beat until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl, then turn mixer to medium-high and beat until well combined and light and fluffy again.

Add extracts and beat to combine.

Add the flour mixture all at once and beat on low speed until just combined. Mixture will look dry for a batter. Do not over mix.

Add mashed bananas all at once and beat for a few seconds only. Remove work bowl from mixer and finish folding in the bananas with a spatula.

Evenly divide the batter between the bake-and-serve loaf pans (keep them on the sheet pan for baking). If desired, sprinkle one teaspoon of granulated sugar over the top of each loaf pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 30 minutes using bake-and-serve loaf pans.  Remove breads to a wire rack and let breads cool completely before wrapping or freezing. If you like, serve Banana Rum Bread warm - you won't be sorry!

A sprinkle of sugar... a simple finish for a simple bread.


27 comments:

  1. I was just thinking I need to make some banana bread to use up some bananas. I don't have a go to recipe, which is one of the reasons I paused to click on the blog today. I love dense, moist banana bread and usually like to incorporate pineapple and coconut.

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  2. I was just about to ask you what type of pans you were using! They're nice and rustic. I want to take their picture.

    My favorite banana bread is a banana oatmeal chocolate chip variety that my great grandma came up with.

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  3. I've never tried banana bread before, but with your description and the recipe right here I think I'll try it next weekend!

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  4. I have a number of different banana bread recipes that I use depending on the mood or what happens to be in the pantry! This recipe needs to be in my rotation!! Thanks for posting.

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  5. I haven't tried baking banana bread only because everyone around me does it. The recipe you posted sounds delish and I'd be willing to try if I won. ;)

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  6. Honestly I have never baked banana bread before, so my favorite is the one my neighbor brings for me. Great giveawa but I will just take the goodies you baked in there instead, thankyouverymuch :)

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  7. I use my mom's old banana bread recipe, which is probably from the '40s or '50s; it uses a LOT of bananas and so is very moist. Now that you've reminded me of it, I have to look for it in her recipe box.

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  8. i love to buy over ripe bananas and freeze them. when i want to make banana bread, i always have a read supply.

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  9. I love banana so much, I recently made banana chocolate chip bread and that was to die for and I also love banana cupcake and banana cookies and banana in chocolate ganache.
    great giveaway!

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  10. I love recipes that include sour cream, I think it definitely adds moisture, but yours looks SO moist without it! I also enjoy chocolate chips in mine. Had a roommate that would make her banana bread batter and let it sit raw on the countertop an hour before baking. Something about the flour absorbing the moisture bla bla. I've done it, and it does seem to help!

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  11. I love banana bread. I mean it! My favorite recipe is one that I recently made that is a coconut banana bread. It was divine! But, I also make a great banana bread "bar" that is glazed...and oh my word. Nothing sets off a great banana bread like a frosting!

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  12. I have found my banana breads to be dry so I try to incorporate something moist and tasty like pineapple or soaked raisins, bet if I soaked the raisins in rum I wouldn't need quite so much rum flavoring! Thanks for sharing!

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  13. Michelle - I love King Arthur flour - I make a banana coconut bread that is very good - but now I think rum would be great with it! Enter me!

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  14. Hi, ma'am! Fun giveaway:) You know (I think), that I Do Not Like bananas very much, but I did make that rather nice banana/coconut/Nutella-glazed pound cake for Miss Nelly that turned out really well. I even ate a few pieces--I think the coconut oil helped mellow out the banana-y-ness a bit! And The Beloved uses these paper bakers for his fruit cakes every Christmas--he would be the lucky winner if we won! Here's the link to the pound cake if you'd like to check it out: http://pastrychefonline.com/blog/2011/12/09/coconut-banana-pound-cake-with-nutella-glaze-or-the-perfect-cake-for-nellysbigday/

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  15. Oooo, I don't drink alcohol, but that recipe of your sounds AMAZINGLY yummy!
    I have 2 favorite banana bread recipes. One is a blueberry banana bread and the other is, OF COURSE...swirled with Nutella *sigh*

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  16. this recipe sounds fantastic. can't wait to try it.

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  17. I have a banana bread recipe that is one of the first recipes that someone ever gave me. I still use it. Very straight forward. Oh, by the way... I adore KA!

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  18. A couple of weeks ago I made my Tropical Bread which has bananas, pineapple, coconut and cherries. The Boyajian Natural Rum Flavoring would taste great in this bread.

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  19. Your bread looks sooo fluffy and tasty :)

    "Happy Cooking"

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  20. Looks good ... I'll have to give it a try. I love banana bread but am not settled on any one recipe. I generally just pull out a "church" cookbook from my collection and find one: they always have several banana bread recipes.

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  21. funny, I've tried other recipes for banana bread but always go back to the Joy of Cooking one... I love making it with blueberries in it, I really love the favor combination of banana & blueberry for some reason. Tried with cranberries once and it just wasn't the same for me. I love that you use so much banana in your bread, and that there are no nuts! (I'm allergic to nuts)

    Have you only made this with the rum extract? I have really good dark rum and am wondering if I could do a 1:1 sub for the extract...

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  22. I absolutely love my sis's banana bread : I don't have her recipe though
    thanks
    aunteegem@ayhoo.com

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  23. I use my aunt's recipe for banana bread - it's so moist and doesn't have that funny aftertaste some b-breads get.

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  24. Stasha (#6 from random.org) is the lucky winner of the giveaway from King Arthur Flour! : )

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  25. i am definitely adding rum the next time i make banana bread!

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  26. Banana and rum is one of my favorite combinations! These look great M and I would do nothing different except add a rum glaze on top. ;)

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