KITCHENAID LOAF PAN RECIPES

Steps:

• (9:00 a.m.)Add the ingredients to a mixing bowl or stand mixer. Mix until medium development (the dough should be smooth, but still a little shaggy, and elastic. Transfer the dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover.
• (9:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.)This dough will need 3 sets of stretch and folds during bulk fermentation, at 30-minute intervals.
• (Overnight, 11:45 am to 11:00 a.m.)Remove the dough from the bulk fermentation bowl and lightly oil the interior with olive oil. Tighten the dough on the counter into a ball and transfer back to the oiled bowl, seam side down. Cover the bowl and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.
• (11:00 a.m.)Divide the dough into two 290g pieces. Shape the dough into a very tight ball with no seam on the bottom. Transfer to a pizza dough tray or baking sheet and cover.
• (11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)Proof the dough out on the counter at around 75°F (23°C) for 5-6 hours. When fully proofed, the dough will have relaxed outward and be soft to the touch. If using the dough soon, preheat your oven, alternatively, you can place the dough back into the fridge until the next day.
• (5:30 p.m.)Preheat your oven with Baking Steel inside, one or two rungs from the top, to 550°F (285°C). Shape a dough piece into a large circle on a piece of parchment paper. Switch oven to Broiler setting, top your pizza dough, and slide the dough onto the Baking Steel. Spritz the inside of the oven a few times with a handheld water sprayer. Bake for 1.5-2 minutes with the broiler on, then turn the oven back to Bake setting at 550°F (285°C). After 1 minute, rotate the pizza in the oven. Bake for another 4-5 minutes until done to your liking. Repeat for the other piece of dough.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F and prep the pan. Arrange a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the long sides to form a sling. Spray the inside with cooking spray. → If using nuts, toast them in the oven for 10 minutes as the oven is pre-heating.
• Melt the butter. Melt the butter in the microwave or over low heat on the stovetop. → Alternatively, for a more cake-like banana bread, soften the butter (but do not melt) and cream it with the sugar in a stand mixer in the next step.
• Combine the butter and sugar. Place the melted butter and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until combined. (Or cream the softened butter and sugar in a mixer until fluffy.)
• Add the eggs. Crack the eggs into the bowl. Whisk until completely combined and the mixture is smooth.
• Add the milk and vanilla. Whisk the milk and vanilla into the batter.
• Mash in the bananas. Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl. Using the end of the whisk or a dinner fork, mash them into the batter. Leave the bananas as chunky or as smooth as you prefer. If you prefer an entirely smooth banana bread, mash the bananas separately until no more lumps remain, and then whisk them into the batter.
• Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Measure the flour, baking soda, and salt into the bowl. Switch to using a spatula and gently stir until the ingredients are just barely combined and no more dry flour is visible.
• Fold in the nuts or chocolate, if using. Last but not least, scatter the nuts or chocolate over the batter and gently fold them in.
• Pour the batter into the pan. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, using the spatula to scrape all the batter from the bowl. Smooth the top of the batter.
• Bake for 50 to 65 minutes. Bake until the top of the cake is caramelized dark brown with some yellow interior peeking through and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 50 to 65 minutes. Baking time will vary slightly depending on the moisture and sugar content of your bananas — start checking around 50 minutes and then every 5 minutes after.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Set the loaf, still in the pan, on a wire cooling rack. Let it cool for 10 minutes — this helps the loaf solidify and makes it easier to remove from the pan.
• Remove from pan and cool another 10 minutes. Grasping the parchment paper sling, lift the loaf out of the pan and place on the cooling rack. Cool for another 10 minutes before slicing.