Botched Banana Bread?

September 19, 2012 7:13 PM

Baking filter: My oven broke in the middle of baking banana bread. What to do now?

Hi. So I was following this "healthy" banana bread recipe:

http://www.lovefoodeat.com/healthy-banana-bread-whole-wheat-vegan-oil-free-and-sugar-free/

As you can see, for what it's worth, there is no egg or dairy in the dough. I baked the dough for 20 minutes or probably less before I checked and noticed that my gas oven was no longer working. Since then, I've just left the loaves in the oven while I wait to get it fixed, which I thought would happen faster--it's been 3 hours. My question is: once the oven is fixed later (hopefully sooner than later!) tonight, can I go ahead and bake? Is there any reason why this is a bad idea?

I wonder if either the bread won't rise now or if it's a problem in any other way that the dough has sat at room temp for 3 plus hours.

Thanks!

posted by tacoma1 to Food & Drink (16 answers total)

I think it would be safe to eat after 3 hours, but it might be a little off texture-wise. My guess would be...spongey inside, dry outside. But I'd still eat it and not worry about safety. I just wouldn't serve it to guests without trying it first.
posted by shortyJBot at 7:22 PM on September 19, 2012

I would go ahead and bake it an as how it turns out. Even my worst banana bread (forgot the baking soda, etc) has turned out pretty good!
posted by dawkins_7 at 7:23 PM on September 19, 2012

While it probably won't kill you, you're almost certainly going to end up with something overcooked on the outside or undercooked on the inside. Not super pleasant, in either case. If you actually want banana bread, I would just toss it and start over.

If you're absolutely hellbent on trying to save the dough, I guess you could try cutting/scooping it into a pan and cooking it like pancakes? Or just finish baking the dough once the oven is fixed and then crumble it up and use it as an ice cream topping or something. Cake pops (I guess that would negate the "healthy" aspect)?
posted by Diagonalize at 7:25 PM on September 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh, I misread your question, sorry! I thought it was partially-baked. So, the oven wasn't working the whole time? Can you refridgerate the loaf now and wait til the oven is fixed, and then just bake it when your oven is back on? It might take a few extra minutes if the loaf is cold when it goes in the oven. Good luck! (And if you have a toaster oven, that might be a backup too.)
posted by shortyJBot at 7:25 PM on September 19, 2012

Oh, jeez, I misread the question too. The dough hasn't been baked at all? Just bake it once the oven is fixed. It might be a little dense, but it'll still be okay to eat.
posted by Diagonalize at 7:26 PM on September 19, 2012

Plastic wrap it to preserve the moisture. I think it's safe to eat.
posted by windykites at 7:27 PM on September 19, 2012

I might try to steam it at this point. No worries about dryness.
posted by methroach at 7:36 PM on September 19, 2012 [2 favorites]

I'd probably try something stupid like putting foil over it and sticking it on the grill, using indirect heat. Barbecued banana bread could become a thing.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 7:44 PM on September 19, 2012 [3 favorites]

Got a neighbor? Run over and ask to borrow their oven, and then share!
posted by mochapickle at 7:55 PM on September 19, 2012 [2 favorites]

I see it has both baking soda and baking powder in it. Baking soda is moisture-activated, so by the time you cook the batter, I don't think you will get any benefit from that anymore. But the baking powder is mostly heat-activated, so you should still get some rise. I think it will be fine - maybe a little dense.

If it is entirely uncooked, you cook mix in some more baking soda just before you cook it (in the repaired oven or the friend's oven), but you'd be risking a baking-soda flavour, which might be less appealing than the dense loaf you'd get otherwise.
posted by lollusc at 8:03 PM on September 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

*could mix
posted by lollusc at 8:03 PM on September 19, 2012

If you have a microwave, you could try nuking it. It won't brown, of course, and that caramelization on the crust is key for banana bread, but you can probably get it cooked through and think of it as a sort of pudding.
posted by Mngo at 8:32 PM on September 19, 2012

If you have a cake rack and a dutch oven, you could also bake it pioneer style- on top of the stove. The concern is that you might ruin the pan, though. But stovetop baking is indubitably a thing that people do. Ask Google.
posted by windykites at 9:05 PM on September 19, 2012

If the texture turns out not-well, make banana-bread pudding! Or banana-bread french toast.
posted by charmcityblues at 9:59 PM on September 19, 2012

There's always trifle.
posted by ninazer0 at 2:43 AM on September 20, 2012

That recipe looks like it might be a bit of a brick anyway - very dense with not much rise. In which case you may find there isn't too much difference if you refrigerate until baking. It will be rather flat.

I once made a boiled fruit cake where I made an unwise substitution and the whole batter was the wrong texture. It didn't rise at all, the texture was like paste but the taste was still rather nice and I happily ate it.
posted by kadia_a at 9:29 AM on September 20, 2012