BANANA BREAD

 

 

Banana bread is a breakfast dish or dessert made with ripened bananas, all purpose flour, baking powder and other ingredients. Banana bread is a oven baked bread or cake, moistened and flavored with bananas. Banana bread can be made in many variations to make it more healthy and nutrient. Banana bread is one of the favorite vegan dishes for all the vegetarian cake lovers as you can prepare this dish without eggs.

 

 

Banana bread is often moist, sweet, cake-like bread which typically uses baking soda as the leavening agent instead of yeast; however, there are some banana bread recipes that are traditional-style yeast breads. Banana is the main ingredient in this dish. Bananas were discovered in India. The Greeks knew about them in the 4^th century BC where the army of Alexander the Great discovered them in India.

 

There were banana fritters for Napoleon in his last days, but bananas were still very rare in those days, because they were so very hard to export because transport was so slow and bananas can definitely rot if brought to that point. In the 1830s, bananas were seen in certain New York market places, in 1870, Cook brought bananas into the Boston harbor, but it wasn't until the invention of refrigeration that people really started buying bananas. According to history we know for sure that sweet breads were eaten by both the Greeks and the Romans. Bananas were used a lot in recipes around the 20^th century. Before that banana was just well, a fruit.

 

The Banana originated in Southeast Asia (probably on the Malaysian archipelago) and spread from India, to the Philippines, New Guinea etc. It was cultivated by about 2,000 B.C., but these people were rice eaters, and wheat was unknown there, so breads were not part of their culture. Banana bread recipes for the most part are 'quick breads’ that is leavened with baking powder.

 

Quick breads (chemically leavened) which most banana bread recipes were not developed until the end of the 18th century. This took place in America, where pearlash was discovered. Pearlash is a refined form of potash, and it produces carbon dioxide gas in dough. In 'American Cookery' (1796 - the first American cook book) Amelia Simmons published recipes using pearlash, and exported some 8,000 tons to Europe in 1792. (But she has no specific recipe for banana bread) Baking powder was not developed commercially until 1857 (phosphate baking powder). 

 

So the banana bread as we know it (a quick bread) could have been first made in America in the 18th century when housewives discovered pearlash as a chemical leavening agent. The cookbooks of the 1960s added to its popularity listed multiple variations of bread that added fruits, nuts, chocolate chips and even extra bananas.

 

Now there are other variations also where they add raisins and nutmeg for cinnamon. According to a research study it is said that Bananas are an excellent, low-fat, cholesterol-free source of dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. The amount of potassium and fiber in bananas may help combat atherosclerosis, or the hardening of arteries that can lead to heart attack and stroke. Potassium also helps lower blood pressure. Butter is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D but high in saturated fat and cholesterol. To prepare the Banana bread, take a bowl and mash the bananas with a potato masher to a paste.

 

Add little vanilla essence to the banana paste. In another bowl add butter, a pinch salt, sugar and mix well. Now add the banana mixture to the butter sugar mix and mix well. In another bowl add maida, baking soda and baking powder and mix well. Add this mixture to the banana and butter mix well to form a nice batter.

 

Mix nicely to avoid lumps. Grease a cake mould with butter, sprinkle all purpose flour (maida) into it and preheat the oven. Pour this batter into the mould and bake the bread. Banana bread is an easy, moist and delicious basic banana bread recipe where whole family will enjoy anytime. Do try this delicious banana bread and you can also use the recipe and instructions found in this video at:

 

 

                                                 Banana Bread

Author : Admin

Published On : Jun 10, 2009

 Preparation Time: 7 min

 Recipe Type : Breads

 Cooking Time : 25 min

Standing Time : 5-8 mins

 Yield : 4 (4 servings)

Ingredient : Banana

 4.0 Stars based on 294 Reviews

Description : My fav banana bread with out eggs

 Recipe of Banana Bread