banana and cardamom loaf

we had too many overripe bananas sitting in the pantry & had to use them up somehow! try this rustic yet exotically flavoured loaf!

makes 1 loaf
ingredients:
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp dry active yeast
pinch of brown sugar
1 Tbsp whole cardamom pods
1 cup wholemeal flour
2 1/2 cups strong white flour
4 pinches of sea salt
2 Tbsp vanilla essence
2 large, slightly overripe bananas (mashed)
sesame seeds, to adorn

directions:
1. in a small bowl, mix water, yeast, and sugar, & let set for 10 minutes
2. in the meantime, mash up bananas into a pureed consistency. also, break your cardamom pods & mash up finely
3. sift flour into a big bowl & make a well in the middle. pour in yeast, cardamom, bananas, vanilla extract, & sea salt. slowly combine all ingredients into a dough, adding more water or flour accordingly
4. with your hands, form a ball with the dough. then place on a floured surface & knead for 5 minutes, until elastic and smooth
5. place back into the big bowl & cover with a damp cloth. leave to rise in a warm place for 2 hours
6. preheat oven to 190 C
7. get the dough & knead again for a few minutes. then split dough into three parts & plait. then cover in plastic wrap & let sit for another 20 minutes
8. place the plait on a lightly oiled baking tray. brush with a little water & sprinkle with sesame seeds
9. bake at 190 C for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 170 C and bake for another 15 minutes