# banana bread recipe with weights (not volumes)?



## salmichaels (Aug 21, 2010)

I am looking for a banana bread recipe that will, at the very least, give the banana measurements in volume, but better would be in weight. There are lots of recipes out there that say "three or four mashed bananas" which, depending on the size of the banana, can make a big difference against the volume of the other ingredients. 

Thanks!

Sal.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Here;s one:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Banana Bread

Recipe By :Emeril Lagasse
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
[hr][/hr] [hr][/hr] [hr][/hr]
1/2 cup Solid vegetable shortening
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
3/4 cup Mashed ripe bananas
1 tea pon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/4 cups Flour
1/2 cup Macadamia nuts
1 pinch Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 9- by 5- by 3-inch
loaf pan.
Using an electric mixer, cream the shortening and sugar. With the
mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time. Add the
bananas and mix well. Add the baking soda, salt, flour, nuts and cinnamon

and mix thoroughly. The dough will be sticky.
Pour the dough into the prepared pan and bake about one hour or until
the center is brown and set.
This recipe yields ?? servings.

Recipe Source:
ESSENCE OF EMERIL with Emeril Lagasse
From the TV FOOD NETWORK - (Show # EE-2399 broadcast 10-11-1996)
Downloaded from their Web-Site - http://www.foodtv.com

Formatted for MasterCook by MR MAD, aka Joe Comiskey - 
[email protected]

12-11-1996

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 1961 Calories; 61g Fat (27.4% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 329g Carbohydrate; 11g Dietary Fiber; 424mg Cholesterol; 1214mg Sodium. Exchanges: 8 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 10 1/2 Fat; 13 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Any recipe can easily be converted to weight volume as long as there are still 8 ounces in a cup and a quart of water weighs 2 pounds. Try it


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Sal, unless you're planning on multiplying the recipe, it really shouldn't make a difference.

Bananas, on average, run 6-8 inches. What I would do is start with three larger ones (or four smaller), peel them, and weigh what's left. Then follow the recipe you're using. If it works perfectly, that's your target weight in the future. If not, adjust accordingly.

If you're converting to weight measurements, a cup of flour is 4.5 ounces.


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## missyjean (Nov 5, 2009)

salmichaels said:


> I am looking for a banana bread recipe that will, at the very least, give the banana measurements in volume, but better would be in weight. There are lots of recipes out there that say "three or four mashed bananas" which, depending on the size of the banana, can make a big difference against the volume of the other ingredients.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Sal.


Hi Sal,

I highly recommend the Master Recipe in Peter Reinhart's "Crust And Crumb". It offers both volume and weight measurements (20 oz for the bananas) and offers both a creaming and batter method. Additionally, he explains how you can create your own vartiations.

This recipe makes my very best banana bread. I sprinkle the top with sugar before baking or brush with a syrup or glaze after baking.

Everyone who has tasted it thinks I should go into business. The truth is, I am new to baking (just 1 year) and Peter Reinhart's book deserves all the credit


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

FWIW, the USDA says a medium banana:

weighs 181.5 grams or approximately 6.4 ounces
is 65% edible
has an edible volume of 1/2 cup
So, as an approximation, 1/2 cup of banana weighs about 4 ounces, gee, that must mean it has a density very nearly that of water!


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Even at a given weight, there's so much variation from banana to banana regarding moistrue content, starch v sugar, and all of the other meaningful paramaters, I find it best not to worry my pretty, little, knobby, bone head with too much exactitude.

Measurements to the nearest nano-unit are very nice and give a sense of security, but if you're measuing something inherently inexact, it's a false sense of security.

Have you ever seen the referees use the _Exactly-10-yards-to-the-nearestzillionth-of-an-angstrom_ chain to measure first down yardage? Did you ever stop to think the spot where the other end is planted might give or take 6 inches or so? Or, the angle from the estimated old mark to the near mark might not be exactly parallel to the long axis of the field? Not to mention the certainty of an inexact spot. The question is not just "10 yds?" But "10 yds from where and in which direction?"

Just so with bananas. It's not a matter of how much space they occupy, or how much mass they contribute -- but of how much banananess. That's either going to take a certain amount of tasting or an accpetance that some variance is permissible.

BDL


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

Hear Hear, BDL.

I can assure you i've made many a banana bread and banana cake, and use whatever bananas are available, big, small, i don't really pay attention.  The cakes come out good anyway.


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## salmichaels (Aug 21, 2010)

That's just the issue. In my case, I have had a lot of variation.


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## kealakai (Sep 15, 2010)

Here's my wife's Famous Banana Bread (which I converted to weights):

Easy Banana Bread 

Makes approximately eight mini loaves

Preheat oven 350 deg F.

*1 cup (8 oz) butter*

*2 cups (14.5 oz) white sugar*

Cream together till fluffy.

*4 eggs*

Add in eggs one at a time then whip till extra fluffy.

*1 1/2 lbs. Over-ripened Bananas (approximately six large Williams bananas)*

Add over-ripened bananas and mix until bananas well broken up.

*2 1/2 cups white flour (12 oz)*

*1 teaspoon salt*

*1 teaspoon baking soda*

In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients well. Dump wet banana mixture on top of flour. Hand stir

being careful not to over-mix.

Pour batter into pans filling each 3/4 full.

Bake for around 45 minutes for minis, 50 minutes for larger pan. (Use fingertip to check for doneness.)


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## salmichaels (Aug 21, 2010)

Ok guys, thanks for your replies!

Sal.


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