Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast
French toast like you’ve never had it! Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast is a yeasted bread loaded with bananas and pecans.  Making it a delicious take on traditional french toast. The yeasted banana bread is like regular bread but with mashed bananas like a banana loaf. It’s slightly heavier than regular bread but not as dense as a banana loaf giving you banana loaf taste without being too heavy. The resulting bread is also nutty and not overly sweet, it nicely soaks up the eggs and cream without becoming too soggy.
The idea of a yeasted banana bread comes from the book Spilling the Beans. A book that I am currently a little obsessed with at the moment I will admit. I found the book by accident one day on the way to a friends. It was in a box of free cook books on someones front lawn. My husband saw the sign and suggested we take a look. I remember grumbling about not wanting someones old books but I went over anyway. Good thing I did!! I walked away with about 10 cookbooks that day, but Spilling the Beans is my favourite of the pile. Authored by Julie Van Rosendall and Sue Duncan, it’s a great display of how to use beans in a variety of different ways. A few certainly surprised me, in a good way.
We’ve all heard it “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” and bananas are a great way to start your day right. Their numerous nutritional benefits and versatility are why bananas are one of my favourite fruits. Want to know more? Well-Being Secrets has an amazing article that will have you bananas for bananas. Check it out at http://www.well-beingsecrets.com/bananas-health-benefits/
I love this recipe because the bread is not only great for french toast, it’s terrific toasted with butter and honey or peanut butter, oh ya! Have your french toast on the weekend and toasted banana bread on Monday. Without a doubt it’s a sweet and simple way to start the week. Enjoy!
Recipe Source:  Inspired by Yeasted Banana Bread, Spilling the Beans
- 3 each bananas over ripened or thawed from frozen at room temperature
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp lukewarm water
- 2 large eggs divided
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tbsp skim milk powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp cardamom
- 3 1/2-4 cups bread flour
- 3/4 cups pecans chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup half and half cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- pinch salt
- 8 slices yeasted banana bread 3/4 inch slice
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- maple syrup as needed
- 2 each bananas sliced
- Preheat oven to 85℉. Mash bananas in the bottom of a stand mixer bowl, add water, honey and yeast. Allow to ferment for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 egg, butter, milk powder, salt, cardamom, and 2 cups of flour. Add an additional 1/2 cup flour and using a dough hook, knead until flour is incorporated. Knead in flour by the 1/4 cup ensuring flour is absorbed after each addition before adding more. Add flour and continue to knead until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Add pecans and knead until evenly distributed. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and allow to rise at 85℉ or room temperature until double in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
- Deflate dough by kneading 2-3 times. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into an approximate 15 inch rope. Place ropes parallel to each other on a parchment lined baking sheet. Braid the 3 ropes together tucking in both ends. Cover with plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel and allow to rise until almost double in size, approximately 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Whisk egg with 1 tbsp of water and brush evenly onto braided loaf. Bake for 35 minutes or an internal temperature of 200℉ is reached. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack prior to slicing.
- Preheat oven to 200℉. In a shallow dish whisk eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cardamom and salt. Cut bread into 3/4 inch slices. Heat a large non stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil. Dip each bread slice into egg mixture and allow to sit for 20 seconds per side. Add to hot skillet and cook for approximately 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and keep warm in preheated oven. Repeat with remaining bread and egg mixture.
- Top french toast with fresh banana slices and pure maple syrup. Serve immediately.
Make bread the day before intending to make french toast. I used two baking sheets, one directly on top of the other creating a thicker base to prevent the bottom from becoming too dark.
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