Sprouted multiseed banana loaf
Last month, I excitedly tweeted about a fantastic new banana loaf recipe I had just pulled out of the oven. I don’t often tease about upcoming recipes because, well, that’s just not nice. But I couldn’t help myself.
Let me explain.
A few days earlier, I was browsing through some of my favourite food blogs and came across an absolutely stunning post on Golubka. (If you haven’t visited that blog yet, you must go there. Now.) You see, I wasn’t necessarily looking for recipes to try out because, at that time, I felt like I really needed a break from the kitchen. I was essentially living vicariously through other people’s creations and bookmarking intriguing ideas to try after the holidays.
Have you ever come across a recipe that just screams “Make me!” That’s what this recipe did to me.
I started with the basic bread recipe and got to work soaking, sprouting and dehydrating. Rather than sticking to a basic savoury flavour, I decided to make a new version of my beloved banana bread by adding bananas, walnuts, cinnamon and a touch of agave nectar. And boy, was I happy with the outcome. It results in a crispy outer crust and a nice, moist banana bread-like centre. The sprinkle of seeds on top is also a must.
The best part about this bread recipe is that there’s no need for flour, yeast or sugar. I experimented with two versions, one baked and one dehydrated, and I must admit that I liked the texure and taste of the baked version much better. Dehydrating does work, but I could detect a subtle fishy flavour from the Irish moss, so you might want to add more spices or other flavours if you prefer to use that method. Or, make sure to thoroughly rinse your Irish moss several times before making it into a paste! Lesson learned.
Also, feel free to use whatever seeds you have on hand for this recipe. It seems quite versatile. I made two mini loafs, but you can easily make one large loaf or several small buns (or even bagels!) if you prefer. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the baking time though. Enjoy!
PrintSprouted multiseed banana loaf
Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients:
- 1 cup mixture of raw oat groats, buckwheat groats, amaranth and millet seeds, preferably sprouted (or just soaked overnight) and dehydrated
- 1/2 cup flax seeds
- 1 cup sunflower seeds, preferably sprouted and dehydrated
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1 cup psyllium husks
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 very ripe bananas, peeled (mine were previously frozen)
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup Irish moss paste (see instructions here)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp agave nectar
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Agave glaze:
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
- 1 tbsp water
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Set aside.
- Start by grinding the grains, flax seeds and sunflower seeds. I did it in batches using a spice grinder, but a high-speed blender will work, too.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground grains and seeds. Add the sesame seeds, psyllium husks, cinnamon and salt and whisk together.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas using a fork. Add the water, Irish moss paste, agave nectar and coconut oil and whisk until well combined and fairly smooth. (You can also do this step using a blender, if desired.)
- Pour the wet mixture in the dry mixture and mix to form a dough. You might want to use your hands at this point. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and shape into a loaf (I made two long, thin loafs).
- Make the agave glaze by whisking together the agave and water. Brush the glaze over the top of the loaf and sprinkle with a mixture of seeds.
- Bake the loaf at 350F for about one hour or until the loaf is golden and crispy to the touch. Allow to cool before slicing.
Basic bread recipe adapted from Golubka's recipe.