Can you help me figure out why my banana bread won't turn out?

[Rikki Jean]

nak

a few days ago, i made a recipe posted in this thread: http://mothering.com/discussions/sho....php?t=1135035

Soak 3 cups of spelt flour in 2 cups yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir for 12-24 (or 38 ) hours.
Mix in:
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
3 lightly beaten eggs
1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup melted butter
2 mashed bananas
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

pour batter into a buttered, floured loaf pan and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

After 1.5 hours, it seemed done, but after a few minutes, the top sunk in. Then, when I tried to get it out of the pan, it was still raw inside.

I thought maybe it was my baking soda, so I bought a new box.

Today, I made the recipe again, this time, with the new baking soda. The only thing I did differently was make it into muffins instead (I'm hoping to make muffins out of this for my boys' b-day party on Saturday). They've been in the oven for over an hour (I know the recipe says 1.5 hours, but I'm guessing it should be less since they're muffins), and I'm still having the same problem.

Any ideas on what the problem could be? It's obviously not the baking soda. It's not my oven either; I have a thermometer in there, and it says 350.

:

[Ruthla]

I wonder if you're using too much liquid in the recipe. Both the bananas and the eggs can vary widely in size, so maybe you're accidentally using more liquid than the recipe's author?

Another way to fix this, whether it's mentioned in the original recipe or not, is to cook for longer at a lower temperature.

[applecider]

Ha! I'm making a zucchini bread recipe right now that is very similar to this. I'm having the same problem! I wonder if it has anything to do with soaking the grains? It is such a bummer and waste of ingredients when things don't turn out! Sorry

[CrunchyChristianMama]

It has to do with soaking the grains. Soaked grains are very difficult to bake with! Try using as little yogurt or kefir as possible...just enough to wet the flour. This should help. Also, try baking at 325 instead for longer to avoid the outside getting too brown.

[Rikki Jean]

Thanks ladies! Once again, this just proves to me that Sally Fallon STINKS at writing recipes!

[columbusmomma]

I made a yummy vegan coconut lime banana bread last night. It called for whole spelt flour and I didn't soak it. Came out great. That could be it? I think you could cut back on 1 egg too and reduce to 2 bananas.

[AJP]

Yep, it's the soaking. Almost every soaked-flour bread recipe I've tried has done exactly the same thing, even tinkering around with lower oven temps. I totally gave up on most soaked recipes like that one. It works okay for me with things like pancakes, but not breads or muffins. I much prefer to use flour made from sprouted grains (spelt or wheat), it accomplishes the same things nutritionally as soaking the flour, you can use it in a "normal" non-soaked recipe and it works beautifully.

[gardenmommy]

I gave up on soaked baked goods, for that very reason. I could never get them to turn out properly. I would like to buy the already soaked flour that I see mentioned on here sometimes. Haven't gotten around to that yet, so my solution is to just not make baked goods very often anymore.