Banana, dates and rum loaf

What a delight this banana, dates and rum loaf is!

I know I am not the biggest fan of banana deserts but in this loaf banana is hardly detectable, you can onlt get a tiny hint that banana may be present.

You will only have to prepare this banana dates and rum loaf, to understand what this really is like. It’s a power loaf. I love its multi use and purposefulness and I say this because of what you can make with it. Using it as a sweet toast, making a French toast with it or use it as a slice of sweet bread for a savoury breakfast such as egg and bacon. My kids’ favourite one is as shown in the picture, served with a nice creamy Greek style organic yoghurt and a nice homemade jam.

It is pretty versatile loaf packed with fiber and goodness. I love its dark brown colour, its nutty, rummy taste and its firmer texture.

How many times you wish you’ve had something good in the fridge/ freezer that you could just get put your hands on and enjoy as a quick breakfast or a snack.

I normally freeze it and have it in there for as long as it takes- it never lasts for long in my freezer but generally maybe a good couple of weeks could easily be kept frozen – such a great alternative for an express breakfast, an easy start for the day or a lovely work snack.

It’s homemade and it’s delicious, what else can you wish for? 😊👌

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Banana dates and rum loaf

Ingredients

• 500 g spelt flour (light)
• 40 g cane sugar (plus 2 tbs to mix with yeast)
• 10 g dry yeast (best to use the fast action version)
• 1 tsp himalayan salt
• 110 g butter (melted)
• 120 g dates (chopped)
• 3 medium bananas (very ripe) (mushed)
• 90 g banana chips (slightly crushed)
• 1 tsp rum essence
• 1 handful walnut (chopped and roasted)
• 100 ml water lukewarm
• 150 ml cream double/heavy cream

Instructions

1. Prepare an oven baking tray with greasing it. Set aside.
2. Place the yeast and one tbsp sugar into a mug. Add 100ml lukewarm water and stir. Allow it 5 minutes to dissolve.
3. In a larger bowl, mix the flour with the salt, the sugar, the rum and the mashed bananas. Add the yeast, cream and the butter and start kneading.
4. Knead this forms a dough for about 10 minutes (laborious a little may sound, I know, but it’s all well worth it in the end). It will get all nice and smooth (ok, maybe with little lumps from the bananas if those were not proper ripe ones but nothing to worry) and that’s the sign that this is actually done. Add the chopped dates, nuts and knead for a further minute or two to incorporate those.
5. Drizzle some oil over it make it into a ball shape and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Rest in a warm place for at least 1 hour.
6. The dough will rise nicely, knock it down a little and divide into three pieces.
7. On a flour dusted or oiled surface start rolling each piece into a sausage shape. Do the same with all three.
8. Plait all three together and place on the baking tray. Leave again (covered) in a warm place to rise for at least 40 minutes.
9. About 10-15 min before it's ready for baking, put oven on and preheat at 180C fan assisted or 200C otherwise.
10. Bake for about 35-45 minutes until nice and golden.

Recipe Notes

Serve warm or cold.

For this nice and shiny looks, I do mix 1 tsp of cinnamon with one or two tbsp honey and a good squeeze of lemon and brush it over the loaf immediately as I take it out of the oven so while it is still very hot. It gets soaked in immediately.

I use this as a bread for a beautiful breakfast treat and we have it either sweet ( by adding jam, Nutella or honey and yoghurt) or even savoury (with egg, bacon and cheese) delicious!!

If you don't think you will be consuming it within 3-4 days I recommend you slice it as soon as it cools off completely and freeze it. Take out as much as you need, one, two or how many slices you need out of the freezer, toast and eat it as you desire. It will be as fresh as it was when you initially bagged it and placed it in the freezer.

Enjoy it folks. It's really lovely 👌

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