Bity
I made my first loaf of plantain bread out of pure stubbornness. Three plantains had gone completely black on the windowsill, frying them was out of the question, and throwing them away felt wrong. So they went into a bowl with eggs, butter and self-raising flour, and forty five minutes later the kitchen smelled like a bakery.
It is denser than banana bread and less sweet, with a gentle caramel note that comes from the fruit itself rather than from sugar. Honestly, it is now the reason plantains sit on my counter until they look almost past saving.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love This Plantain Bread
- Seven ingredients, one bowl. No mixer, no creaming, no fuss.
- Ten minutes of prep. Because self-raising flour does the lifting, there is nothing to sift or measure twice.
- It rescues black plantains. In fact the uglier they look, the better the loaf tastes.
- Eight to ten thick slices. Meanwhile it keeps for days without drying out.
- Not too sweet. So it works with butter at breakfast just as well as with coffee in the afternoon.
Ingredient Notes
- Very ripe plantains. Two or three, and the skins should be black rather than yellow. Green plantains are pure starch and will give you something closer to a savoury dumpling.
- Self-raising flour. One and a half cups. If you only have plain flour, add two teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch more salt.
- Melted butter. Half a cup, cooled slightly so it does not scramble the eggs.
- Eggs. Two large, at room temperature. They bind a fairly heavy batter, so do not reduce them.
- Sugar. Half a cup, and you can cut it to a third if your plantains are very ripe. Ripe fruit carries beta-carotene as well as sugar, and Harvard’s Nutrition Source explains how the body turns carotenoids into vitamin A.
- Milk. Two to four tablespoons, added at the end to loosen the batter. However, add it slowly, since plantains vary a lot in moisture.
How Ripe Should the Plantains Be?
Black, soft, and past the point where anyone would fry them. A yellow plantain with a few brown spots is still mostly starch, and it bakes into something bland and slightly gluey.
Leave them on the counter until the skins go fully dark and the flesh gives when you press it. That can take a week from yellow. If you are in a hurry, roast whole unpeeled plantains at 350F for 20 minutes, then cool and scoop them out, which mimics ripeness reasonably well.
Plantain Bread vs Banana Bread
They look similar and behave differently. Plantains hold more starch and less sugar, so plantain bread comes out denser, less sweet, and with a firmer crumb that slices cleanly rather than crumbling.
The flavour is gentler too, more caramel than tropical. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics notes that unripe banana flesh most closely resembles a plantain in texture, which is exactly why the two swap so well in baking. Still, if bananas are what you have, my bread machine banana bread is the loaf to make instead.
How To Make Plantain Bread
1. Heat the oven. First set it to 350F (180C) and grease or line a standard loaf tin.
2. Mash the fruit. Next peel the plantains and mash them in a large bowl until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine and give the loaf character.
3. Add the wet ingredients. Then beat in the eggs, melted butter and sugar until everything is combined.
4. Fold in the flour. After that stir in the self-raising flour and a pinch of salt, mixing only until no dry patches remain.
5. Loosen the batter. Add the milk a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is thick but pourable, roughly the texture of soft ice cream.
6. Bake and cool. Finally pour it into the tin, smooth the top, and bake for 45 to 55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for ten minutes, then turn it out.
Why the Loaf Sinks in the Middle
Too much liquid is the usual culprit. Plantains vary enormously in moisture, and a very ripe one may need no milk at all. Add it a spoon at a time and stop as soon as the batter falls slowly from the spoon.
Underbaking causes the same collapse. A loaf this dense needs the full 45 to 55 minutes, and the skewer test should come out with crumbs rather than wet batter. In addition, opening the oven in the first half hour drops the temperature enough to knock the rise out of it, so resist looking.
Tips for the Best Plantain Bread
- Line the tin with parchment. Plantain bread is sticky at the edges and clings to bare metal.
- Tap the filled tin firmly on the worktop twice to knock out large air pockets.
- Mash by hand rather than blitzing. A processor makes the batter smooth and the loaf gummy.
- Tent it with foil at 35 minutes if the top is colouring faster than the middle is setting.
- Let it cool fully before slicing. Warm slices drag and tear, however tempting they look.
Storage and Reheating
- Room temperature. Two days in an airtight tin, though it is best on day one.
- Fridge. Three to four days wrapped well. Because chilling firms the crumb, warm slices before eating.
- Freezer. Slice first, then freeze for up to 2 months so you can take out one piece at a time.
- Reheating. Twenty seconds in the microwave, or a couple of minutes in a toaster oven for crisper edges.
Variations and Substitutions
- Spiced. A teaspoon of cinnamon or a pinch of cardamom suits the caramel flavour beautifully.
- Citrus. Grate in the zest of a lime or an orange to lift the sweetness.
- Chocolate or nuts. Fold in half a cup of chocolate chips or chopped pecans at the end.
- Muffins. Divide between twelve muffin cases and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Gluten free. Use a one-to-one blend with a teaspoon of baking powder, along the lines of my gluten free banana bread.
What to Serve With Plantain Bread
Warm, with salted butter melting into it, is the honest answer. Plantain bread is not sweet enough to feel like cake, so it sits happily at breakfast alongside coffee.
Toast a thick slice and top it with yoghurt and homemade granola for something more substantial. Alternatively, serve it warm with vanilla ice cream as a simple pudding, the way I do with easy peach cobbler.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ingredients and Ripeness
How do I know the plantains are ready?
The skins should be black and the flesh should feel very soft. That is when the starch has converted to sugar and the flavour is at its sweetest.
Can I use bananas instead?
You can, and very ripe bananas work as a substitute. Expect a sweeter, lighter, more fragrant loaf, since bananas hold far less starch.
Can I reduce the sugar?
Yes. Cut it to a third of a cup if your plantains are properly black. The fruit brings a surprising amount of sweetness on its own.
What if I only have plain flour?
Add two teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt to the one and a half cups. That is the standard conversion for self-raising flour.
Baking and Storage
How long does it bake for?
Forty five to fifty five minutes at 350F. Start checking with a skewer at 45 minutes, since tins and ovens vary more than recipes admit.
Why did mine turn out gummy?
Usually too much milk or overmixing. Add the milk a spoon at a time, and stir only until the flour disappears.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, for up to two months. Slice it first and separate the pieces with parchment so you can take out exactly what you need.
Ingredients
- 2 very ripe plantains 2 to 3, black skin is best
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 2 tablespoons milk 2 to 4, as needed
- salt a pinch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease or line a loaf pan.
- Peel and mash the plantains in a bowl until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine.
- Add the eggs, melted butter and sugar, and mix until combined.
- Stir in the self-rising flour and the salt.
- Add the milk as needed to loosen the batter slightly. It should be thick but pourable.
- Pour into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Let cool before slicing.
