Banana Oatmeal Bread Loaf

I don’t know about you, but I’m obsessed with banana bread. Give me all the different variations and inclusions and I’m a happy gal.

So when I came across this recipe on Weight Watchers, I was stoked. Not only delicious, but healthy too? Is that even possible?

I’m here to tell you that yes, yes it is. This banana oatmeal bread loaf was cozy, dense, and filling, with such great flavor. I made it as part of my meal prep for the week and ate it for breakfast each day with an apple on the side. While it’s not too sweet, it is sweet enough to be a dessert if you’re into bread as dessert (*raises hand).

It was super easy to make — check out my video below for evidence! — and could not have been a more perfect repeatable, warm breakfast for the workweek on these chilly mornings we’ve been having.

If you wanna give baking this a try, check out the full recipe on Weight Watchers’ website.

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Classic Artisan Bread Loaf

THIS is the bread that made me fall in love with bread-making. It’s the Overnight 40% Whole Wheat Bread recipe from Ken Forkish’s Flour Water Salt Yeast. Ken Forkish is a well-known restaurateur here in Portland, with his own bakery and pizza place (highly recommend both!).

When I first made the recipe I was convinced it was going to turn out like crud. It just seemed so precise, but even though I probably didn’t do everything perfectly correct, it turned out perfectly. Since then (a few years ago), I’ve probably made bread at least one time per month, but often more, and what I’ve learned along the way is that baking your own bread really is both fickle AND forgiving... but I haven’t messed up a loaf yet 🙏 

I’m not going to write up the recipe for you here because it’s his life’s work AND I truly believe the book is worth purchasing so you can learn from an expert. There are whole sections on what equipment you should invest in (see below for items similar to what I use), fundamentals and methods, how to handle dough gently, how to properly fold, and more.

Ingredients

The book is called Flour Water Salt Yeast for a reason. Those are the only ingredients he uses in the majority of the recipes throughout. Yes, you read that right. The ingredients are really that easy… it’s how you use the ingredients (the process) that really counts. But while we’re on ingredients, I’ll take a minute to discuss some of my favorite flours.

Ken mentions King Arthur Organic All-Purpose Flour in his book. I’ve used this brand for both White and Wheat recipes, and it is divine. I’ve also used Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose, Wheat, and Artisan Bread Flour, and all have been amazing as well. The key to flour, as Ken mentions in the book, is to use the best-quality flour you can find with protein in the 11-12% range. But he also says to try a variety of flours to see which you prefer. That’s why I like to mix and match… sometimes I’ll combine Wheat, Artisan Bread, and All-Purpose flours and it’s super yummy.

Of course, you’ll also need water, salt, and yeast as the title suggests, but Ken goes into great detail about these as well in the book, so I’ll leave it to the professional!

Equipment

You’ll need some basic baking supplies like oven mitts and measuring cups, but there are a few items specific to bread-making that aren’t so every day. Below are similar to the things I purchased that have made all the difference in baking my own artisan bread.

From the top left:

1. Stainless steel dough scraper

2. Cambro 12qt round container with lid

3. OXO digital kitchen food scale

4. Lodge 4qt cast iron dutch oven (Ken recommends a 4qt size. This one looks like it’s currently unavailable, so I’m also linking the closest thing in a 5qt size here.)

5. 2 cane banneton proofing baskets (Ken recommends 9-inch. I’ve linked a 10-inch version that looks exactly like mine. I LOVE these. They are amazing for proofing, and give your bread a beautiful artisan-looking design on top of the loaf.)

6. Precision instant read thermometer

Love

Ok, now I’m going to sound cheesy, but baking bread is really all about the love you put into it. It brings me SUCH joy every time I make an artisan loaf, dinner rolls, pizza dough, loaf bread, and more. And the more I do it, the more I love it. There is just something so grounding and peaceful about being able to create such sustenance from scratch for you and your family. If you embark on your own bread-making journey, I truly hope you find the same joy I have. It’s a wonderful thing.

Season 2 Episode 5 Show Notes: 15 Ways to Live More Sustainably

Did you know if the global population reaches 9.6 billion by 2050, the equivalent of almost THREE planets will be required to sustain current lifestyles? Wow! But there ARE small things we can do as consumers to help, including reducing our waste, being thoughtful about what we buy, and choosing a sustainable option whenever possible. Listen to the full episode for specific ideas that are easy and cost-effective to implement!

A Few Facts & Figures

The UN has outlined statistics, some of which are listed below, that help us understand why living more sustainably is so important. And living more sustainably is not only good for the environment, but also for our wallets! Oftentimes, making sustainable choices saves us money in the long-run.

• Less than 3% of the world’s water is drinkable, of which 2.5% is frozen in Antarctica, Arctic and glaciers. So humanity must rely on 0.5% for all of man’s ecosystems and fresh water needs.

  • Unfortunately, humankind is polluting water in rivers and lakes faster than nature can recycle and purify.

  • Additionally, more than 1 billion people still do not have access to fresh water, and excessive use of water contributes to the global water stress.

• Households consume 29% of global energy and consequently contribute to 21% of resultant carbon dioxide emissions.

• Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have increased by almost 50% since 1990

• Each year, an estimated 1/3 of all food produced – equivalent to 1.3 billion tons, worth around $1 trillion – ends up rotting in the trash cans of consumers and retailers, or spoiling due to poor transportation and harvesting practices.

• 9 out of 10 urban residents breathe polluted air

• Climate-related and geophysical disasters claimed an estimated 1.3 million lives between 1998 and 2017

• To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius, global carbon emissions need to fall to 55% of 2010 levels by 2030, and continue a steep decline to zero net emissions by 2050

How to Get Started Living More Sustainably Now

From nixing one-use plates and paper towels to joining your local food co-op to composting, listen to the full episode for 15 ways you can start living more sustainably NOW. And check out the below list of products and resources that can help you get started on this journey.

1. Marley’s Monsters: UNpaper Towels

2. How to Make Your Own Compost

3. Instant Pot

4. 240 Instant Pot Recipes

5. Reusable Water Bottle — I got this one for Christmas and I LOVE it!

6. Garment rack for line-drying clothes

7. Kindle e-reader

Have any other ideas or thoughts to add? I would love to hear them! Drop ‘em in the comments below.

Join me on this Capsule Life journey!

• Subscribe to the Capsule Life podcast on iTunes

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Until next time Capsule Lifers — keep finding joy through intentional living.