A Tale of Two Einkorn Banana Breads

Several weeks ago, the folks at Einkorn.com contacted me to find out if I would be interested in testing their all-purpose flour and whole grains.

I began working with einkorn about five years ago and it just so happens that my early tests were done with grains from Einkorn.com.  However, over the past few years, I’ve been using grains from other suppliers.

It had been a while since I had worked with Einkorn.com wheat so I agreed to give it a try. They carry all-purpose einkorn flour now so I was curious to find out how it compared to the all-purpose einkorn I’ve been using.

Einkorn.com AP Flour on the left; Jovial Foods AP Flour on the right

I decided to start my testing with banana bread because it’s one of my all-time favorites, and not everyone is into making sourdough or even yeast bread, but most everyone enjoys making quick bread.

To me, banana bread represents comfort food.  It reminds me of family gatherings and baking with my mom and sisters.  It is one of the first breads I learned how to make and it’s by far one of the easiest.  My favorite part about making banana bread is that you can use overripe bananas that might otherwise be thrown away. You can even freeze overripe bananas and use them later to make this quick bread.

I titled this post “a tale of two einkorn banana breads” because it is made with two different types of einkorn flour. In the photos, the loaf on the left is made with all-purpose einkorn flour from Einkorn.com, and the one on the right is made with Jovial Food’s all-purpose Einkorn flour.

I’ve made this particular banana bread a few times using regular flour, and I’ve also made it with einkorn, so I knew it worked.  However, during my initial testing, I was fighting a respiratory infection and wasn’t completely on my game so I managed to mess up a few loaves. Luckily for me, I had plenty of flour and a big bag of ripe bananas that I got in preparation for this experiment so I was able to conduct several tests.

This version doesn’t include nuts.

This version includes pecans.

Although I didn’t get to feel the extensibility or structure of the dough because quick breads are batter breads, and mixed with a spoon, I was able to compare the flavor and note any differences that might make one flour preferable over the other in terms of taste.  What I found is that the flours look similar, they feel similar and they both performed well in this bread.  I couldn’t detect any differences in the flours.  They both felt very soft and powdery and the flavor of both loaves was exceptional.

I do love banana bread and when you make it with einkorn flour instead of regular all-purpose, I think it elevates it to new heights.

Why this Banana Bread has more flavor

One of the things I like about this banana quick bread is that is has more flavor and is not gummy like some other banana bread I’ve made in the past.  It utilizes a method perfected by America’s Test Kitchen. It is called ultimate banana bread because it contains six bananas instead of the usual three.

Ultimate Einkorn Banana Bread

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• Author: Bread Experience
• Yield: 1 Loaf 1x

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Description

This Einkorn Banana Quick Bread has more flavor and is not gummy like some other banana breads you may have tried in the past. It is called ultimate banana bread because it contains six bananas instead of the usual three.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups / 240 grams all-purpose einkorn
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 5–6 large very ripe bananas, (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup/ 149 grams packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar for sprinkling over the top of the loaf

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center. Grease a 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with oil or cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the pan and place inside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
3. Put 4 or 5 bananas in microwave-safe bowl and cover with a paper towel. Microwave the bananas on high until the bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes.*
4. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and transfer the bananas and the liquid to the strainer. Allow them to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (you should end up with about ½ to ¾ cup liquid).
5. In a small saucepan, cook the liquid over medium-high heat until it is reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, and stir the reduced liquid into the bananas. Mash the mixture with a potato masher until it is fairly smooth.
6. Whisk in the melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.
7. Pour the banana mixture over the flour mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon until it is just barely combined. You should see a few streaks of flour remaining.
8. Gently fold in the nuts, if using. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan..
9. Then slice the remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices. Shingle the banana slices on top of either side of loaf, leaving 1½-inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.
10. Bake the loaf until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes.
11. Cool the bread in pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack.**
12. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

*If preferred, you can use frozen bananas. They will give off their juices once they are thawed. No need to microwave them. Just cook down the liquid.

** I let the loaf bake for about an hour, then removed it from the pan and the parchment paper. I placed the loaf on a baking sheet and put it back in the oven and let it continue baking with the oven turned off – about 5 minutes to make sure it was set.

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Ultimate Banana Bread Recipe

• Category: Quick Bread

A bit about Einkorn:

In case you aren’t familiar with Einkorn, it is an ancient grain that has been making a comeback.  Einkorn wheat is known as either Triticum boeoticum (wild wheat) or Triticum monococcum (domesticated species). Domesticated and wild forms of wheat may be considered either as separate species or as Triticum monococcum’s subspecies.

Here are some resources from the Einkorn.com site that you might find helpful:

• The many health benefits of einkorn: http://www.einkorn.com/healthy-grains/
• A brief history of einkorn: http://www.einkorn.com/einkorn-history/
• Einkorn as it relates to better digestion: http://www.einkorn.com/3-reasons-einkorn-may-be-easier-to-digest-than-other-types-of-wheat/

Happy Baking!

Cathy

This was my first experiment.  You might also enjoy Part 2: Making Sourdough Einkorn Loaves using three different types of Einkorn grains.

Disclaimer:  I received some flour and grains to use in this experiment. I would like to thank Einkorn.com for providing me with the opportunity to test their Einkorn.