This bread started out with two ideas. Firstly, I had a couple of very ripe bananas and needed to use them up. Secondly, I had bought new yeast and wanted to test it. I buy yeast by the pound, and store most of it in the freezer, until it's used up. Only... when we moved, the container of yeast had been put into the baking cabinet and never moved. That eventually led to a disappointing loaf of bread (which I initially thought was bad technique on my part, these things happen) and then, when I did a proof, I realized that the yeast was dead. So! a quick order later, I had a nice fresh brick of yeast. And this bread, after some rummaging in the cupboards and following my taste buds.
Which is why the bread is complicated. I had the time to play, and I had a few ingredients to use up, and fortunately I opted to make notes as I added things to the recipe. There are some things you can sub out in the recipe: raisins for the dates, or nuts for the sunflower seeds. There are things you cannot: bread flour makes the lovely structure and texture possible, so it's necessary. I use a stand mixer for mixing and kneading, but you could do this by hand. I don't think it would work well in a bread machine (you couldn't get the lovely spiral of cocoa).
And yes, do this enough times and you can compose a recipe on the fly, too. It's not hard if you understand what's happening in the dough, and how you've gotten where you want to be before.
Complicated Banana Bread
In a mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine:
1 c warm milk
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 c sugar
2 very ripe bananas (smush them up if they aren't very ripe)
1/2 c greek-style yogurt
1 tsp ginger
1/3 c chopped dates
1 large egg
Add in slowly, scraping down the sides and allowing to mix slowly and thoroughly, so the gluten has plenty of time to hydrate:
2 c bread flour
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c sunflower seeds (can omit if not desired)
If you want to make the spiral in the loaf, you'll also need:
Melted or very soft butter
cocoa powder (unsweetened)
Once the flours are fully incorporated, allow to mix for 5-7 minutes. If you are doing this by hand, you'll want to form into a very soft dough, then allow to rest and rise longer to allow for the hydration. The dough will be very soft and sticky. Turn out onto a floured surface and fold one end into the center, then the other end, then take the sides in the same way, until you have a ball. Turn over, being sure there's lots of flour under it, cover with a tea-towel, and allow to rise until double, one to two hours.
Cut the dough in half (I like a bread blade for this and scraping the board if needed). Set one half aside. Carefully flour sticky places, then roll it into a rough rectangle about as wide as a loaf pan (maybe a little longer) and a half-inch thick. Brush butter lightly onto this. Sift cocoa powder over it, a nice opaque layer (I use a little sieve and tap it against my hand for a nice even and controlled coverage). Roll up, and tuck carefully into the loaf pan. Repeat with other half. Cover the loaves and allow to rise until doubled (approximately).
Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, until loaves are golden brown on top and hollow-sounding when tapped. Allow to cool to warm before attempting to slice.
