This freshly milled flour banana bread is made with a 50/50 blend of hard white and soft white wheat, overripe bananas, and a third cup of sour cream that keeps every slice moist and tender from crust to center.
1½ to 2cupsoverripe bananas340 to 450 grams (mashed, about 3 medium bananas)
⅓cupsour cream or plain yogurt80 grams
1tablespoonmaple syrup15 milliliters (optional)
Optional Add Ins
½cuproasted pecans or walnuts57 grams (roughly chopped, frozen nuts work fine)
½cupchocolate chips85 grams
Instructions
Preheat and prepare the pan – set the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with butter or line with parchment paper.
Whisk the dry ingredients – combine the freshly milled hard white wheat, soft white wheat, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together.
Cream the butter and sugars – beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl using a stand mixer or hand beaters for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs – beat in the eggs one at a time until each is fully incorporated.
Stir in the bananas and maple syrup – add the mashed bananas (if using frozen, drain off excess liquid) and maple syrup to the creamed butter and sugars and stir until combined.
Fold in the sour cream – stir in the sour cream or yogurt until the batter is smooth.
Add the dry ingredients – fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients gently until just combined. Stop the moment the batter comes together.
Fold in the add-ins – if using chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in now.
Fill the pan and rest the batter – pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Let the filled pan rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before baking. This rest is what prevents a grainy crumb.
Bake – place on the center rack and bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes. Tent loosely with foil at the 35-minute mark to prevent over-browning. The loaf is done when a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool and serve – let the loaf rest in the pan for ten minutes before placing onto a wire rack to cool completely. Transfer to a cutting board, slice with a serrated knife, and serve with softened butter or a swipe of cream cheese.
Notes
FMF self-rising blend shortcut – use 2 cups (240 grams) of your freshly milled self-rising flour blend in place of the hard white and soft white wheat and omit the baking soda and salt. Everything else stays the same.All-purpose flour swap – all-purpose flour works in place of the freshly milled blend at the same 2-cup measurement. Reduce the butter to ¼ cup (half a stick) since all-purpose flour absorbs less liquid.Overripe bananas – the darker the peel, the sweeter and more flavorful the loaf. Frozen bananas that have been fully thawed and drained work just as well and are often even more flavorful than fresh.Doneness – every oven bakes differently. Start checking at 50 minutes with a thermometer and pull the loaf when the center reads 190°F to 205°F for a fully set, moist crumb.