banana bread

here's the recipe for the not-too-sweet, healthy, nutrient-rich banana bread that Lydia and I created this afternoon.  the end result was chewy, brown, and very bready--not like a cake texture that 'nana bed' usually turns out to be. I'll post the actual recipe, then tell you how I adapted it underneath.  From Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon:

banana bread
3 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. buttermilk, kefir, or yogurt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4-1/2 c. maple syrup
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. melted butter
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c. chopped nuts optional
sweet spices to taste: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, chai spice, etc.

Soak flour in buttermilk/kefir/yogurt in a warm place for 12-24 hours--bread will rise better if soaked the full 24 hrs. Blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan, bake at 350 till a knife comes out clean (about 40 min. in the two loaves we made).

how easy is that? I've never soaked my flour before baking, but now I believe I'm a convert.  I only let it soak for 4.5 hours and the bread came out the way I love it--thick crust with a chewy inside.  I used a combination of 1 c. coco-kefir (available at our local health food store) and 1 c. vanilla non-fat yogurt for the liquid to soak the flour.  instead of 1/4 c. melted butter, I substituted 1/2 c. applesauce, and instead of the maple syrup, I used 1/4 c. of local honey.  I think Lydia threw in another banana as well, which was delicious.

additions that could be tasty, but that I have yet to try:
chia seeds. ground flax. dried fruit. fresh fruit. hulled hempseed. soaked wheat berries. coconut flour instead of whole wheat flour. any other brilliant ideas?