This is better banana bread, thanks to the addition of buckwheat flour and black sesame paste.
Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 large or 3 small ripe bananas
1/4 cup black sesame paste, black sesame butter, or black tahini, well-stirred
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons black or white sesame seeds
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375ºF. Coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom and 2 long sides of the pan with a sheet of parchment paper that extends past the sides by a few inches to form a sling.
Peel 2 large or 3 small ripe bananas, place in a medium bowl, and mash with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth (about 1 heaping cup). Make a well in the center of the bananas. Place 1/4 cup black sesame paste and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in the well and stir to combine.
Place 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup buckwheat flour, and 1 teaspoon baking soda in a second medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Place 1 large room temperature egg and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric hand mixer). Beat with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-low and beat for 1 minute. Increase the speed again to high and beat until the mixture is a pale pastel yellow color, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Reduce the speed to low. Slowly pour in 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. The mixture will look curdled. Add the banana mixture and beat until you can no longer see lumps of banana, 30 to 60 seconds.
Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just a few streaks of flour are still visible. Remove the bowl from the stand mixture. Carefully fold with a flexible spatula just until no flour streaks remain.
Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons black or white sesame seeds on top.
Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF. Continue to bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes more.
Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely, about 2 1/2 hours. Grasp the excess parchment and lift the bread out of the pan onto a cutting board. Slice before serving.
