BEST EVER BANANA BREAD

I cook lots and I have been trying to eat more traditional foods lately - hence my sauerkraut and kefir kick.  We generally eat very well in our family and avoid processed fast foods, and I make as much food as I can myself.   I spend lots of time researching new recipes and I have found a winner!   I have been wanting to cook with the kefir I have been making and discovered a banana bread recipe that uses  kefir that I think is fantastic.  I tweeked it to use more kefir (which I love.  You can use yogurt though) This banana bread was moist, sweet, cake like and really yummy!

This recipe uses a method I have not tried in the past.  It is soaking the grain (flour) overnight so it is more easily digested.  It was easy to do and the flour developed into a light frothy mixture that was light in texture and flavour.  Putting the flour into an acidic environment helps break down the protein in the grain and is easy to digest.  (It is all about healthy digestion and not allowing food to putrify in the gut. This method should not produce as much gas as eating unsoaked grains and your blood sugars will stay more stable

1 cup kefir (or plain yogurt or soured milk)
2 cups flour
1 1/14 cup bananas, mashed
1/1/3 cup sugar.  (I used I cup coconut palm sugar and 1/3 cup regular white sugar)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

In a medium bowl, add kefir or yogurt, flour and mashed banana.  Stir and cover and let sit overnight.  After soaking the grain for 8 hours, blend butter and sugar together.  Add eggs and the remaining ingredients.  Add to soaked flour, pour into two greased bread pans and cook at 350 for 70 minutes.  

This did overflow from the pans but I placed a cookie sheet underneath to catch the spills so I wouldn't have to clean the oven.  It developed a beautiful,  carmelly crust that is absolutely heavenly.  The inside was moist.  It removed from the pan easily, but I ended up breaking it when I turned it over.  It was so delicious out of the oven, I put it the pieces in a bowl and ate it that way instead of cutting it and using butter.  It was a treat and would be especially good served with cream (of course).  This may be a good dessert option - if you can wait that long!