Experimental Loaf #4: Banana Nut Yeast Bread

Banana bread is a quick bread made with chemical leaveners (Baking soda and baking powder), that is sweet like cake. I love it and make it often. One day I had the idea to combine banana bread with a yeast bread.

I made this bread the way I make my Italian bread. The difference was I substituted most of the water for mashed ripe bananas. After the dough had risen I split it into two portions and as an after thought I folded in some walnuts and brown sugar (that's why the nuts are in uneven clusters). I then shaped the dough into two round loaves and baked them like my Italian bread.

The flavor was very good. You could taste the banana and the bursts of brown sugar sweetness was a perfect touch. Next time I make it (and judging by how fast my family ate this bread, there will be a next time) I will mix the walnuts in when making the dough so they will be evenly distributed. I like folding in the brown sugar in the end so some bites are sweeter than others.

Of the four experimental loafs I've done so far this one was my favorite. That's no surprise, though, since I'm bananas for bananas.