Buckwheat Banana Bread

Buckwheat flour contains the most brain building, membrane strengthening phospholipids of all the grain flours (that I have found data for - millet flour / Job's Tears may have a higher level). Buckwheat flour has a bitter accent and it turns things purplish. I called pancakes made with half buckwheat flour, purple power pancakes, because they are noticeably different looking from my regular half whole wheat / half white flour mix.


Banana Bread made with buckwheat flour, makes one large loaf - preheat oven to 350/400 degrees. ~45 minutes to one hour bake time. I usually double the recipe and make two large loaves or four small ones. This recipe is adapted from the cookbook that I grab the most often and which has the most notes written in the margins: the Better Homes and Gardens "New Cook Book". I like its handy 3 ring binder and the useful substitution charts. Given the basic ratios any recipe can be modified with equivalent ingredients and tasty results. When trying something new I look at a few cook books and combine what sounds good or matches the ingredients in the cupboard.

• For my quick bread mix and other substitution ideas: http://kitchenphysiology.blogspot.com/2012/02/pacakes-in-jiffy-mix.html 
• Or for the gluten free quick bread mix:  http://kitchenphysiology.blogspot.com/2012/02/gluten-free-quick-bread-mix-millet.html
• For a loaf of banana bread using either quick mix try: 2 cups of the mix, 2/3 cup sugar, 1 cup mashed banana, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup oil and 1 tsp vanilla, and a few tablespoons of milk may be needed. 

Banana Bread made with buckwheat flour

Browning bananas can be used for baking.

• Mix dry ingredients together with a whisk or in a mixer/chopper:

1 cup oat flour or millet flour or whole wheat flour
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 and 3/4 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar

• In a separate bowl mash two bananas thoroughly to make 1 cup mashed banana - mash thoroughly or if using a mixing bowl start with the bananas and the mixer will mash them for you. Mashing separately in a large measuring cup has the advantage of checking whether those two bananas actually made one cup or if a third needs to be added (double batch is usually 4-6 bananas - and they can be fairly brown on the inside and still make good bread - garbage if they've turned blackish and almost liquid.

• Add to the mashed banana the remaining wet ingredients:

2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla (I prefer the real thing to artificial, there are rainforest/environmental issues - where are those rose-colored glasses when I need them?)

• Blend the wet ingredients together thoroughly and add to the dry- a few extra tablespoons of milk/milk substitute may be needed as the dry and wet are being mixed together - depends on how big those bananas were.

Gently mix quick breads. Over beating the batter can make the finished product tough and chewy or full of big air holes. If wheat flour is used, over mixing can knit the gluten structure together into a chewier texture that can support bigger air bubbles. Many small delicate air bubbles gives a sponge like airy texture to the baked product, over mixing can give a Swiss cheese appearance to the muffin or cake.
Over mixed - is more like what you are trying to do when kneading yeast raised breads - the fibrous structure is what makes pizza crust chewier than other types of bread. Pizza dough uses high gluten content flour and works the dough a long time which gives it enough strength to be able to hold together while being spun over the head in the fancy pizza parlor trick (Youtube do you happen to have any making pizza videos?)

Walnuts are traditionally added to banana bread, but I had stopped using walnuts (Nick wouldn't eat banana bread with walnuts) and the buckwheat actually fools the taste buds. Walnuts are bitter because they have the similar phospholipid content of the buckwheat. They both taste slightly bitter, because they are good for us! - Bitter is better - at least some of the time - to the taste buds, it is an indicator of phospholipid content.

• Bake the loaves at 350-400 degrees farenheit for 45 minutes. Use a knife blade to check for doneness - If the knife blade is inserted into a slightly raw loaf then it will be a bit gooey when its pulled out - if the bread/egg content is fully cooked then the knife blad will basically be clean.

The top of a finished loaf will rebound/bounce back when you press it down lightly.

A finished loaf will be fairly dark in color - the buckwheat does give it a purplish brown color.

We like adding chocolate chips to the loaves instead of walnuts. Eating walnuts raw delivers the freshest omega 3 content .