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Golden banana dinner rolls topped with sesame seeds in a bread basket
Oumnia

Banana Dinner Rolls

Soft, lightly sweet dinner rolls made with three ripe bananas, yogurt and yeast. One batch makes 18 rolls that stay tender for days.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rising Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 18 rolls
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4.75 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 sachet vanilla sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Method
 

  1. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, eggs, salt, vanilla sugar, vanilla extract, bananas, plain yogurt and dry yeast.
  2. Add the warm water gradually while mixing, stopping when the dough gathers into a single mass. Ripe bananas hold moisture, so you may need less water than expected.
  3. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  4. Add the olive oil and the butter and keep kneading until they are fully incorporated and the dough is smooth again.
  5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. This takes 1 to 2 hours depending on room temperature.
  6. Punch down the dough and divide it into 18 equal pieces. Roll each into a tight smooth ball and place them well apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  7. Cover and let the rolls rise a second time until visibly puffed, about 30 to 45 minutes.
  8. Beat one egg with a tablespoon of milk and brush the tops of the rolls. Scatter over sesame seeds if using.
  9. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15 to 20 minutes until deep golden and hollow sounding when tapped underneath.

Notes

Judge both rises by volume, not by the clock. A warm kitchen doubles the dough in about an hour; a cool one can take twice as long.
Ripe bananas carry a lot of moisture. Start with less water than you think and add more only if the dough will not come together.
Add the olive oil and butter only after the dough is smooth. Fat added at the start blocks gluten development and gives dense rolls.
The milk in the egg wash is what gives the deep glossy brown. Egg alone gives a paler yellow shine.
These freeze well. Cool completely, freeze in a bag, and thaw at room temperature or warm from frozen in a low oven for 10 minutes.