Banana Rolls

It is quite funny that I was once terrified at baking breads and now I can't seem to stop.  After several attempts and professional guidance during my work training, I have built my confidence and discovered the joy of baking breads at home.  

This is another one of mom's old recipe and is a great way of using ripe bananas.  These rolls look like a sweet version of sausage rolls. And what I haven't mentioned in the title is, they are actually banana and cheese rolls.  The ripe banana is very sweet and the saltiness from the mild cheddar makes the two so good together.  I love it.  But if adding a bit of cheddar to banana is too weird for you, add some chocolate chips instead :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

P.S. I am looking for baking ideas with polenta/corn meal.  Anyone?

Banana Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

500 grams strong white flour

100 grams caster sugar

2 egg yolks

7 grams fast-actioned dried yeast

75 grams soft butter, unsalted, plus more

200 ml whole milk

12 ripe small bananas or 6 medium ones, cut in half 

1 egg, lightly beaten

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yolks, dried yeast and butter.  Add the milk a little at a time and using a wooden spoon or a clean hand, mix until you have a lump of dough.  Tip the dough to a clean work surface and knead it until you have a smooth and elastic dough.  This might take about ten to fifteen minutes.  Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook and 'knead' for five to seven minutes.  Do check it often to prevent over-working, which can result in hard, doughy bread.  If the dough looks dry, add a bit more milk. 

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a buttered bowl and cover with a tea towel or cling film.  Let the dough prove for an hour. The dough should double in size after this time.

Once the dough has doubled in size, take it out of the bowl to your work surface and knock out the air, by punching it.  I love this bit.  And knead it again for several times.  Divide the dough into twelve roughly equal portions and shape them into little balls.  Cover them with tea towel or cling film and let them rest for thirty minutes.

Now take one dough and with a lightly floured rolling pin, flatten them into an oval shape.  I find this easier if I start from the centre of the dough to the top and then the bottom.  Try to keep the dough at an even thickness and try to roll the dough as little as possible to keep it tender. A tip I learned from mom.

When you have your oval shaped dough, place a banana (or half a banana) at the top and with a knife, make several straight slits from the middle of the dough to the bottom, but not all the way through the edges.  Roll the dough so that the banana is wrapped around it and place on a buttered baking tray, seam side down.  Continue with the rest of the dough.  Cover the rolls again with tea towel and let the prove for the last time for another thirty minutes.  In the meantime, preheat your oven to 180 C. 

Brush the rolls with an egg wash and bake them for fifteen to twenty minutes.  Take them out of the oven and whilst they're still warm, brush with softened butter all over the surface to give them shine and lovely flavour, of course :)  Let them cool a little bit which gives you plenty of time to put the kettle on for a cup of tea or coffee, and enjoy.