Banana Bread

1 cup Sucanat or organic sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3-4 medium)
1/3 cup water
1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom only of loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 OR 9x5x3 inches). Mix sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir in eggs until blended. Add bananas and water and beat for 30 seconds. Stir in remaining ingredients except the nuts just until moistened; stir in nuts. Pour into the pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55-75 minutes (depending on size of pan). Cool 5 minutes in pan after done baking. Loosen sides of loaf from pan and remove bread. Cool completely before slicing. Store in the refrigerator.

Hint: Banana bread freezes very well! Make a double batch and put one in the freezer for a later breakfast or snack!

My Favorite Homemade Bread Using a Heavy-Duty Mixer

(Makes 5 loaves of bread)

• 1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 Tablespoon salt, heaping (I use sea salt)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 10 cups flour (I use 4 wheat & 6 white)
• 5 cups warm water
• 3 Tablespoons yeast
• 2 cups additional flour, add as needed

Place ingredients into your heavy duty mixer (I have a Bosch and LOVE it!) in the order listed (except the 2 cups additional flour) . Knead on Speed 1, quickly adding in the additional flour until the dough pulls away from side of bowl. Then knead for 6-8 minutes on Speed 2. **See note below for 2-rise option. Remove dough, divide into 5 loaves, and place in pans to rise. Let rise for about 30-45 minutes or until double in size (I turn the oven on for a few minutes to warm it up and then turn it off. I then place the bread pans in the oven with the oven light on to rise. When bread is done rising, turn oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops and sides of bread are brown. Remove from pans and let cool completely before storing. This bread freezes well too!

To make cinnamon-raisin bread, add 2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 2 cups chopped raisins to the dough when kneading.

**If you want, you can allow the dough to rise in a large, greased bowl, once before dividing up and letting it rise in the pans. This is actually recommended, but for time sake I have always just did the one rise in the pans. I recently started using more wheat flour (6 wheat/4 white) and the second rise has really helped the texture of the bread! This is a great step as you move towards using ALL whole wheat flour. After you have mastered this bread recipe, move on to my 100% Whole Wheat Bread Using the 2-Stage Process recipe!