Pear and banana oat bread

I didn't set out to make this oat bread. I thought I could turn some over-ripe pears and banana into raw oat ball snacks. However, somewhere during my ingredient processing, I decided that balls were unlikely to stick together. I turned the mix into a baked loaf instead. It could have gone horribly wrong, but instead turned out surprisingly well.

Consistent with my love of simple recipes, this is a minimalist bread: there are only 4 ingredients, and 2 of them are fruits. There is no rising time, no raising agent, and no kneading. Effectively, the loaf is porridge turned into bread.


The ingredient list does make this a dense loaf, and it has good staying power in terms of satisfying hunger. It is also more of a breakfast or snack bread than something to use for sandwiches. The loaf isn't overly sweet, but I couldn't imagine pairing it with savoury toppings. I enjoyed it plain and fresh for the first day after baking, and then enjoyed it toasted and spread with jam. If you eat honey, that would work well too - and of course nut butters complement most things. The bread held together fine for toasting and kept well in the refrigerator for a week.

I imagine my simple ingredient list could be expanded. Some cinnamon or nutmeg might be a nice addition to the mix, or vanilla, or even different fruits. However, I was quite pleased with my impromptu back to basics loaf. I can imagine making it again when I have over-ripe fruit to use up. It was certainly a better outcome than my imagined but doomed fruit and oat balls!

Pear and banana oat bread

A simple yet effective bread that works well for breakfast or a hearty snack

Makes approximately 15 slices

Vegan and wheat free

Author: Bite-Sized Thoughts

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Ingredients

3 medium ripe pears, cored

1 medium ripe banana

5 cups rolled oats

2 tbsp tahini or nut butter of choice

Method

Preheat your oven to 180'C and prepare a loaf tin.

Process the fruit and oats in a food processor until well combined. The mixture should be like a thick dough. Add the tahini or nut butter and process to incorporate. 

Transfer the mix to your prepared tin, and bake for 16 - 20 minutes or until golden and firm on top.

Serve plain or toasted with topping; store in the refrigerator after the first day.

Have you had any impromptu products come out of your kitchen lately?

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