Freshly Milled Banana Bread

Originally my Grandma’s recipe, this freshly milled banana bread just can’t be beat! Loaded with bananas and an irresistible crispy sugar top, you will want this banana bread on your recipe rotation asap. It’s such an easy quick bread to make and perfect for simple breakfasts or a go to snack!

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Freshly milled banana bread is a family favorite!

Banana bread has always been a favorite in our house. In fact this is my Grandma’s recipe so I grew up making it all the time. The best part for me has always been the crisp sugar top. Once I became old enough to bake by myself, I would LOAD up the top with sugar before baking. AH! Those were the days.

While I have cut down on my sugar consumption since then (ahem…maybe) I definitely haven’t cut back on my banana bread consumption. It usually finds itself in our baking rotation in the deep winter months when you’re over the holiday spices and you just need a cozy slice of soft bread slathered in butter.

Ingredients needed to make this bread:

• Bananas – Ripe and overripe bananas work well in this recipe
• Butter
• Eggs
• Milk + ACV – this is combined to make buttermilk
• Freshly Milled Soft White Wheat Flour
• Baking Soda
• White Sugar

Transitioning Grandma’s recipe to freshly milled flour

Growing up we followed Grandma’s recipe to a T and used store bought unbleached flour. Now, however, we are transitioning all of our baking to using freshly milled grains. I would assume most of you coming to this recipe already know the immense benefits of freshly milled grains but maybe you’re new here and need to know what all the hype is about.

What are the benefits of freshly milled flour?

When innovators removed the bran and germ to make flour shelf stable, they inadvertently removed the most nutrient parts of the grain.

In fact, freshly milled flour contains 40 of the 44 nutrients our body needs daily! What a beautiful thing. God knew what He was doing when He said “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.” Genesis 1:29

Freshly milled grain in its whole form is also loaded with fiber and protein, making this freshly milled banana bread a well rounded snack!

Many ancient and heritage varieties of freshly milled wheat can be suitable for the gluten sensitive people in your life. Why? Because you are eating the grain fresh and in its whole form giving your body not only the nutrients it needs but also every part of the grain so that your body can easily absorb it.

Today, you can choose a wheat variety that best suits you and your needs. Nutrient profiles and flavors can vary depending on which variety you choose.

What is the best grain for Freshly Milled Banana Bread?

For this banana bread recipe, any soft wheat variety will work best. This yields the fluffy and soft texture we all know and love in a good banana bread!

Today there are over 30,000 varieties of wheat. It can be a bit overwhelming to choose what would work best for any given recipe. Here are some things to think about when deciding which variety is best:

• What am I baking? Hard wheat has a higher protein yielding a strong gluten network for yeast or sourdough breads that need to rise. Soft wheat has a lower protein giving a more delicate texture to recipes like cakes, cookies, sweet breads, or pancakes.
• Do I want heritage (heirloom) or hybrid grains? Heritage grains can be traced back to biblical times and have unique flavors, textures, and often higher nutritional profiles. Hybrid grains have been cross bread over the years to enhance specific traits and yield a more consistent grain. Often those with gluten sensitivities handle heritage grains better than hybrid.

Step-by-Step Instructions to make Fresh Milled Banana Bread:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a small mixing bowl combine milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside to curdle. This will be our homemade buttermilk.
3. In a large mixing bowl, soften butter and add sugar and eggs. Cream together until smooth.
4. In another small mixing bowl, mix flour and baking soda. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients until barely incorporated. Mix in “buttermilk” mixture until batter is smooth.
5. Pour into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and top with 3-4 Tablespoons white sugar.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until top is very golden and toothpick comes out clean.
7. Remove parchment from pan and let loaf cool on wire rack before carefully removing parchment.
8. Slice and serve warm or cold with butter. Always delicious for breakfast or a snack!

Freshly milled banana bread makes the perfect healthy breakfast or snack!

Growing up, mom always made it a priority to have an afternoon snack for us. It’s a tender and loving thing like this that as a child you don’t appreciate as much as when you look back and see how important it was. Sometimes it’s the little things that add up to a full and beautiful life.

From one generation to the next, this banana bread recipe has been a favorite. Now Grandma’s recipe has a permanent spot here on the blog and you all get to enjoy it too! Grab your kids, those bananas that ripened too fast, mill some fresh and nutrient dense flour, and whip up a loaf of this delicious bread! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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