Moist Banana Chocolate Bread

Easy and moist Banana Chocolate cake.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil (25g)

½ cup unsalted butter (113g)

¾ cup light brown sugar, packed (150g)

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp instant coffee + 1 teaspoon hot water 

4 extra ripe bananas, mashed (about 440g)

½ cup Greek yogurt (120g)

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (227g)

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate of choice (300g); I recommend semi-sweet or dark

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 340°F and line an 8.5 x 4.5 or 9 x 4 loaf pan with parchment paper 
2. Add the cubed butter to a saucepan. Place of medium low heat, and cook and stir for ~5-8 minutes until the butter has browned. It will melt first, then become bubbly and foamy before you see brown specks on the bottom and smell a lovely caramel scent. Be sure not to overcook, as it can burn quickly after browning
3. Add the brown butter to a large bowl. Add the oil and brown sugar, and whisk for 1-2 minutes. If the mixture feels too hot, wait 5 minutes before proceeding
4. Add the eggs, vanilla, and coffee dissolved in water. Whisk for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth and lighter in color.
5. Add the mashed bananas and Greek yogurt, and whisk until combined
6. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently whisk until the dry ingredients are combined and no lumps or streaks of flour remain
7. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Optionally, you can sprinkle more chocolate chips on top.
9. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes.
10. Remove the banana bread from the oven and let it rest in the loaf until it has fully cooled. This can take a while, try not to rush!  Once cooled, remove from the pan, and serve.

No-Knead Ciabatta Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water 240 grams, (room temp, not too hot)

• 1 teaspoon instant yeast 3 grams

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour 300 grams, (properly measured)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 6 grams

Instructions

1. Place the warm water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and mix together. Let the mixture sit for 8-10 minutes until there is some nice bubble action happening.

2. Once the yeast is active, add the flour and salt and stir everything together. I use a silicone spatula which made scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl easier. The dough will be wet and sticky and a little shaggy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 1 hour. TIP: I placed mine in the oven with a bowl of hot water, but you can also leave it on the counter if it's warm enough in your house.

3. After an hour, wet your hands and fold and stretch the dough four times all the way around the dough. Pull up two corners, stretch lightly and fold over the top of the dough ball. Repeat this 2 more times. Cover the bowl again with the plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this step 2 more times for a total of 3 stretch and fold sessions and an hour and a half of additional resting time.

4. By now the dough should have doubled in size and be nice and bubbly. Carefully remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. TIP: lightly flour the top of the dough and your hands for easier transfer. Carefully stretch the edges of the dough ball out to make a rectangle about ¾" thick or so. Try not to squish the dough or all of that air you worked so hard to create inside will get out.

5. Using a scraper or a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into 5-6 even-sized squares. Place the squares on a piece of parchment paper, cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest one more time for 40 minutes.

6. While the dough is proofing a final time, preheat the oven and baking stone at 420°F. You can preheat the oven for the full 40 minutes to ensure your oven is nice and hot. About 15 minutes before the end of final proofing, boil 2 cups of water and place an oven-safe pan or bowl with the boiling water at the bottom of the oven and to the side so the steam has a chance to reach the bread.

7. Once the dough has rested for 40 minutes, carefully transfer the parchment paper with the dough squares onto the baking stone. You can also have the paper and dough on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet right on top of the baking stone. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the rolls and place them on a cooling rack.

Notes:

• Ciabatta dough is a high-hydration dough. This helps develop those classic holes in the bread. Don't panic if your dough is sticky and wet in the beginning.
• Keep your hands wet when handling the sticky dough during the folding process. This prevents excessive sticking and keeps the dough moist.
• Parchment paper helps prevent the dough from sticking during baking. You can place the parchment paper right on the baking stone to prevent sticking.
• Adding a bowl or pan of boiling water is a key step in the baking process. This creates steam in the oven to keep the ciabatta rolls chewy but crispy on the outside. It also helps create a beautiful brown color.
•  Ensure you allow the ciabatta rolls to cool completely on a wire rack. This will help maintain the texture and avoid a gummy center.
• If you live in a dry climate, you may need to add a little more water in step 2 to ensure the dough is wet, sticky, and shaggy-looking. Add 1 tablespoon at a time until you are satisfied with the texture.

 

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