Bread Machine Banana Bread Gone Rogue

So I was home sick for another day, and after posting this, (and well, eating most of it), I wanted to whip up another loaf...while I loafed.

First I wanted to make a Jam Bread - which is bread with jam IN it. But Googling Jam Bread in a Bread Machine only brought up results for making actual JAM in a bread machine (who knew?).

So I walked away from the computer and into the kitchen and sliced myself a slice of yesterday's bread, where the smell of ripe bananas gave me another idea. What about Bread Machine Banana Bread?

Back to the computer.

More Googling.

Nothing matched what I wanted to make. A lot of them called for fancy settings on a bread machine - and I don't think Home Bakery II, circa 1989 does more than your basic bread cycle. And the real majority of the recipes were for Quick Breads - no yeast, no rising, just mix and bake.

So, what did I do? I went rogue.

Which is a pretty standard for me.

I decided I was going to work off the basic whole wheat bread, and make it my own.

Here is what I gathered:

3 Cups Whole Wheat Bread Flour
1/2 + 1/8 Cup of NonFat Milk
1/2 + 1/8 Cup of Heavy Cream (these were the two dairy products I had on hand - googling also taught me that the fattier your milk, the fluffier your bread - I want fluffy!)
2 Tbsp of Butter, Softened (I happened to use salted, because I bought way too much of it)
1 Tbsp White Sugar
1-2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Salt
1 Package of Rapid Rising Yeast
1 1/2 Bananas Mashed
1/2 Tsp Almond Extract (Yum)
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract (also, Yum)
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
Dash of Pumpkin Pie Spice (not pictured)

Since I'm going rogue, I kept to the basics - liquids on the bottom:

I started with the wet ingredients on the bottom. The Milk, Cream, Butter, Vanilla & Almond Extracts, and Mashed Banana. I also added the Cinnamon & Pumpkin Pie spice at this point - not exactly sure if they will do anything to the yeast.

You call it an egg masher. I call it a multipurpose tool.

Then on top of the liquid layer I poured the flour, and on top of that the salt, sugars, and finally the yeast.

Home Bakery II does have a "light" setting. So I hit that, better to be safe than sorry.

And hit start.

I checked in on the dough - it seemed sticky (should I have put in more flour? too late anyway). A couple hours later, during the rise cycle I checked on it again.

The bread had risen almost all the way to the top of it's container! This was a first in my breadmaking history! Could it be the heavy cream? Could it be the extra volume of banana? Could it be the extra tablespoon of sugar? Who knows! I went rogue!

After this, I made a bit of a cosmetic error. I poked the top of the dough. I was curious how dense it was. Not very. And the middle caved in a bit. I was so close to the bake cycle that it never came back up and so my loaf has a little dent in the top. But really, it didn't effect anything. Just gave it a little character.

 

The bread came out super light, super airy, and super fluffy! Mission accomplished! I gently carved a few slices - and I mean gently, the crust is solid, but the insides are super light. 

And brewed myself a pot of Cinnamon Spice Tea for One. And enjoyed the banana bread harvest.

In the end, I think it turned out really nicely. I probably would add even more banana next time. The banana smell was great, and flavor was light. I wouldn't have minded a little more of it. I also wouldn't have poked the dough (whoops). I might have added a bit more of the spices - I was worried about overdoing it. And I love walnuts in my banana bread. Home Bakery II does not appear to have a nut setting. I hear most modern day bread makers do - so if yours does, I would encourage throwing those in. Yum! :) 

1989 Called...It Wants It's Bread Machine Back

...or maybe that was my parents.

A couple months ago I jacked my parents' time machine bread machine from the dusty depths of their kitchen. I don't think it's seen the light of day for almost a decade.

I remember when they first got the machine, it was a really big deal. But as a kid, a bread machine is pretty dull. You throw everything in. And then have to wait at LEAST FOUR HOURS until you get to eat anything it makes. And sometimes, you do things on the "extended" thirteen hour cycle. Torture.


Today I came down with some kind of variation of the plague. Recovery requires a lot of doing nothing. My dad sent me home with some Minestrone soup - so I'm good there. But I needed something to go with it. Something breadlike.

You know, like bread.

So, I plugged in the top of the line in 80's breadmaking technology, the Hitachi Home Bakery II, and let IT do the work.

I use the recipe on the machine. The ingredients are simple enough - and they are easy to keep them all on hand.

Milk
Salt
Butter
Bread Flour (I used whole wheat)
Sugar
Yeast

That's it. I put everything in the machine in that order. Liquid on bottom. Dry in the middle. Yeast on top. I read somewhere that the longer until it has contact with the liquid, the better. Maybe that isn't true. But it works.

And then I hit start.

And walked away. And sat on my couch nursing my plague-like symptoms for the next four hours.

I enjoyed a fire. While it rained outside. And a little bit inside too (but that's a different story, for a different day).

And my Schnoodle was extremely concerned about this unfamiliar rumbling machine. She made sure it was safe.

And after the four hours was up - I enjoyed a slice of fresh bread. With butter. And leftover Cherry Preserves from my Cherry Lovie Cakes. And then maybe another slice. ;)