Gluten Free Banana Bread

Gluten-Free Banana Bread
With dairy-free and vegan options

Adapted from King Arthur Flour by My Little Blue Heron

Gluten-free flour is a world. I’ve used packaged and I’ve begun to play around, making my own. There’s a science to mixing grains and “white flours” (i.e. potato or corn starch; and add to the mix the option to substitute ground nuts. If you’re not ready to “roll your own”, King Arthur flour’s g.f. flour mix is one of the best around. It’s reasonably priced, soy-free and easy to fool around with.

Altered liquid, fat and eggs are significant factors in pumping up the volume and creating space between the grains. Gluten is protein that holds baked goods together. When baking with wheat or other glutinous grains, we’re constantly nagged to never ‘over-mix’ batters or our cake will be tough. Tough cakes are glutinous cakes.

Xanthan gum is a binder, that holds the batter together. Guar gum has been said to be interchangeable with Xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a ‘natural’ product but some people object to it. Some people object to carrageenan which is from seaweed. There are people with sensitivities to everything. Rather than poo-poo them or be judgmental, why not find what works best for you.

There are great GF cookbooks and they’re getting better. Much better.

Here’s a discourse from King Arthur Flour on converting to GF: link.

The original recipe used K.A. Flour’s G.F. Baking MIX (which contains Xanthan gum). I like to be the boss of my Xanthan gum, so I converted the recipe, affording you to use any g.f. flour. N.B.: Gluten-Free Baking Classics is an excellent primer on how to play around with making your own g.f. flour blends. The basic rule for adding Xanthan (or Guar) gum to cakes is about ¼ tsp. to each cup. I think it may be double for yeasted baked goods, like breads and pizza doughs (makes sense, doesn’t it?)

Buy organic bananas. They tend to (but don’t count on it) taste like bananas. When they turn too spotty and mushy, peel them, put them in a plastic freezer bag, mush it up and when you’re ready for banana bread, yes, you’ll have no plenty of bananas.

Whether you eat gluten-free, you’re cutting back on gluten, you’re g.f.-curious, or baking for someone you love who’s gluten free, this is a great recipe! 

For VEGANS: Substitute Bob's Red Mill's Egg Replacer (or your favorite egg substitute) and no more animals! 

For a less cake-like bread, use Cup4Cup's Wholesome blend (which already has Xanthan gum, so be sure to omit it in the recipe. This blend has whole flax seeds in it. 

I hope you live in peace, with love and ease (in and out of the kitchen),

xojane

Gluten-Free Banana Bread

Ingredients:

½ c./125 ml./113g. vegetable oil

1 c./198g. brown sugar, light or dark, firmly packed

3 eggs, size large, room temperature

2 c./454g. mashed ripe banana, organic preferred (about 4 1/2 medium bananas)

2 ¼ c./360 g. Gluten-free flour

½ tsp. Xanthan gum

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. (freshly) ground nutmeg (optional)

¾ c./80 g. chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

            OR ¾ c./124 g. g.f. chocolate chips or chopped g.f. chocolate

1 Tbsp. Organic Turbinado sugar for top of loaf, optional

           

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

In a large bowl, measure or (preferably) weigh flour. Add to the flour, Xanthan gum, baking soda, salt and spices. Using a wire whisk or by sifting, mix dry ingredients together to combine.

In bowl of an electric mixer, blend the oil and sugar.

Add the eggs, mixing until well blended, scraping down, as necessary.

Add the mashed banana and blend.

Add dried flour mixture, mixing until blended. Scrape down as necessary.

Remove bowl from mixer and stir in the nuts (or chocolate) by hand.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. (This is a G.F. procedure, get used to it. It allows for the absorption of liquids.)

Sprinkle with optional Turbinado sugar.

Bake the bread for 45 minutes (35-40 if making smaller loaves), open oven door and gently lay a piece of aluminum foil across the top to prevent over-browning.

Continue to bake an additional 20 to 25 (10-15 if making smaller loaves) minutes, until the top springs back and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few wet crumbs clinging to it.

Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Release from pan and stand upright and cool completely on a rack before slicing/eating. (This is pretty much a rule of thumb with gluten free cakes. They tend to be gummy before they’re completely cooled down – kind of like people feel when they’re worked up.)

When cooled, wrap well. This is best (like most GF baked goods) kept refrigerated. The loaf will keep well for months, frozen.

Yield: 1 loaf

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