One of my first gluten free breads was Gluten Free Banana Bread. If you haven’t made it yet, please do- it is wonderfully moist! If you have seen any of my other recipes, though, you know I won’t stop at something as basic as Banana Bread. I have to expand on it and make it a statement. And one of my favorite statement is “Bananas and strawberries go together perfectly!” This insanely moist Gluten Free Banana Strawberry Bread definitely makes a statement. If you share this with your friends, even the friends who are not gluten free, they too will make a statement. That statement is “WOW!”
THE INSIDE SCOOP
When both volumetric and weight measures are provided, the volumetric measures should be considered approximations. The standard measure for a cup of sugar is 192 grams. By volume, this measure will typically be less than 1 cup. When baking, it is always best to use a food scale to measure dry ingredients.
This recipe was made using My Gluten Free Flour Mix. Due to the varying characteristics of gluten free flours, other gluten free flour mixes are not guaranteed to work.
Since gluten free flours do not contain gluten, refrigeration time is essential to allow flours to absorb moisture and eliminate the gritty “gluten free” texture and taste. Although the “grittiness” can be mostly eliminated after 30 minutes of refrigeration, I find longer refrigeration times continue to improve the texture, taste and rise of gluten-free baked goods.
Don’t Be a “Cling-On.” Spray the loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Then line the bottom and ends of the baking pan with parchment paper. Let the parchment paper extend over the short ends of the pan to create “handles.” This makes it easier to remove the bread from the pan. And if you’ve ever had a hole in the bottom of a loaf where the bread stuck to the pan, you will especially appreciate the importance of lining the loaf pan. This bread can also be baked in smaller loaf pans or made as muffins; simply adjust the baking time.
Distribute batter evenly in the pan to reduce excessive doming in the middle. This helps to ensure a more even bake.
When making large loaves (rather than mini loaves or muffins); double the pans; this reduces the likelihood of the edges or bottom of the loaves becoming too dark.
You’re Such a Softie! Let butter soften to room temperature. To soften quickly, place the stick of wrapped butter in a microwave and microwave on low heat until slightly softened but not melted. Leaving the butter in the original paper helps it soften evenly.
I’m Eggcited About Eggs! Be sure eggs are at room temperature. Cold eggs can result in a lumpy batter and heavy texture. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature before cracking, place eggs in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 10 minutes.
Crack eggs into a small bowl before adding to the batter. That way, it is easy to remove any bits of eggshell or bloody eggs.
A large egg should weigh about 50-55 grams. This recipe requires 3 eggs, which should have a combined weight of about 150-165 grams. However, with the current egg shortage due to Avian Flu, I sometimes find a few much smaller eggs mixed into the carton of Large Eggs. (One time, I found a Peewee size egg in my carton of Large eggs. Peewees weigh only 35 grams!) I have included the weight of 3 Large eggs so that, if necessary, extra eggs can be added or larger eggs can be used. To measure out the correct amount of eggs, break eggs into a small bowl and whisk, then pour out the amount needed for this bread and store any extra egg for other uses.
“Banana Fana Fo Fana!” Bananas vary in size; 3 medium bananas may be the right amount, or they might not be enough and then your bread lacks flavor or they may be too much and then your bread is heavy and dense. Weigh your bananas to ensure you have the right amount.
Do not mash your bananas. Rather, add sliced bananas to the batter; your mixer will mash most of the banana but leave you with some small bits of banana for extra banana flavor. Did you notice that exceptionally moist spot on the top of the bread? That’s a chunk of banana!
Strawberry Fields Forever. Be sure to weigh the strawberries AFTER you hull them. As tempting as it may be, do not add more than 250m g./ 9 ounces of strawberries. When I was developing this recipe, I kept adding more and more strawberries until I finally reached the “point of no return”- or in this case, the point of no rise. The result of so much testing is this beautiful bread that has a perfect balance between the banana and strawberry flavors, and is INSANELY MOIST!
Don’t Lose Your Temper(ature)! To check for doneness use an instant read thermometer or a metal cake tester (e.g., kabob skewer). The instant read thermometer should read 115 degrees. Do not use a toothpick with gluten free baking- the “toothpick test” is not accurate.
An insanely moist Banana Strawberry Bread with a wonderful balance between the bananas and strawberries. And your friends won't believe it, but it is GLUTEN FREE! Hull strawberries and chop into small 1/8” pieces; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer on lowest speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat thoroughly. Add vanilla extract and banana extract, if using; beat until smooth. Add Gluten free flour mix, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl and beaters often, until batter is light. Add the bananas; beat until small chunks of banana are visible. Gently fold in strawberries until strawberry pieces are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Place the batter in a covered bowl and refrigerate for 4-24 hours. The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 7 ½” x 3 ¾” loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom and the two short ends of the pans with parchment paper, leaving the parchment paper long enough to create “handles.” If muffins are desired, line muffin tins with paper liners; spray paper liners with non-stick cooking spray. Remove the batter from the refrigerator and pour approximately 24 ounces of batter into each prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 65+ minutes, until an instant read thermometer registers 115-120 degrees when inserted into the middle of the loaf. If an instant read thermometer is not available, use a metal cake tester (I use a metal kabob skewer) and insert skewer into the deepest part of the bread. Skewer should come out clean. Remove from oven; let cool 10-15 min. Run the flat side of a knife down the long sides of the bread pan to loosen the bread; use the “handles” to lift the bread out of the pan and place directly onto the cooling rack; cool completely. Enjoy!Gluten Free Banana Strawberry Bread
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Instructions
My Gluten Free Flour Mix:
70 g./ 7 T. White Rice Flour
35 g./ 3 1/2 T. Brown Rice Flour
24 g./ 2 T. Potato Starch
15 g./ 2 T. Millet
11 g./ 1 1/2 T. Tapioca Flour
This equals 155 g. per 1 cup.
To make a large batch at once, I multiplied the above amounts by 8:
560 g./ 56 T. White Rice Flour
280 g./ 28 T. Brown Rice Flour
192 g./ 16 T. Potato Starch
120 g./ 16 T. Millet Flour
88 g./ 12 T. Tapioca
This makes 1240 g./ 8 cups of Gluten Free Flour Mix
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