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Liberian rice bread
Rice bread: Liberia's moist, wheat-free loaf of cream of rice, ripe banana and nutmeg
Liberian rice bread sits somewhere between banana bread and a soft pudding: a moist, close-textured loaf made with cream of rice instead of wheat, sweetened with very ripe bananas and warmed with nutmeg. Families in Monrovia bake it for Sunday breakfast, birthdays and holiday gatherings, and slices are often eaten with tea or coffee. Because it contains no wheat flour, it is naturally gluten free when you use a gluten-free baking powder. The batter is surprisingly runny, so do not be tempted to add more rice. Chef's tip: let the loaf cool in the tin for at least fifteen minutes; rice batters firm up as they cool and fall apart if cut hot.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oilplus a little for the tin
- 3 very ripe bananasabout 300 g peeled
- 2 eggs
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 9 oz cream of rice (rice farina)or finely ground rice
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Brush a 900 g loaf tin with a little ¼ cup vegetable oil and line the base with baking paper.
Step 2: Mash the 3 very ripe bananas until smooth.
2 minStep 4: In another bowl, mix the 9 oz cream of rice (rice farina), 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and ¼ tsp salt.
Step 5: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined; the batter will be loose. Leave it to stand for 10 minutes so the rice softens. Skipping the rest is the mistake that gives a gritty crumb.
10 minStep 6: Pour into the tin and bake for 50–55 minutes until deep golden, firm on top and a skewer in the centre comes out clean.
55 minStep 7: Cool in the tin for at least 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Slice when just warm or cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does liberian rice bread take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of very ripe bananas?
- 120g (½ cup) apple sauce per banana (less banana flavour).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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