Fluffy and sweet, a perfect lunchbox or after school treat.
Or breakfast, because they’ve got fruit in them?

A friend of mine posted a comment on a social media site recently that said, “On average I spend $50 a year to watch bananas turn brown.” My first thought was, “And how quickly we grow weary of banana bread!”. So when I found a couple of very ripe bananas in the fruit basket, I decided to do something a little different with them. As you’ve probably guessed by now, I’m a big fan of muffin tin rolls – they are easy to throw together, the variations are endless and they are perfect for popping into a lunchbox. And I love, love, love playing with yeasted dough.

Makes 24

Ingredients

100g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
600g (4 4/5 cups) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 x 7g sachet (2 1/4 tsp) instant dry yeast (or 8g, 2/12 tsp active dry yeast)
1 tsp salt
75g (1/3 cup, packed) brown (demerara) sugar
200g (7 oz, 14 tbsp) sour cream
2 large eggs
2 medium sized ripe bananas, mashed

Filling

125g (1 cup) all-purpose (plain) flour
325g (1 1/2 cups, packed) brown (demerara) sugar
170g (3/4 cup, 1 1/2 sticks)) butter, room temperature

1 egg, lightly beaten together with 1 tsp water for wash

Directions

Rub butter into flour with your fingertips until it has the texture of soft breadcrumbs.

Add yeast, mix thoroughly, then add salt and sugar.

Whisk together sour cream, eggs and mashed banana then add to the dry mixture, stirring to combine.

Either fit the mixer with a dough hook or turn dough out onto a clean work surface and knead until soft and elastic. It will be quite wet and sticky.

Transfer dough to a large, buttered bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about an hour, but up to two, depending on ambient temperature.

Grease or line two 12-hole muffin tins.

Gently push down the dough, turn out onto a well floured surface and knead together briefly, cut in two equal pieces, cover one half with plastic wrap and roll the other half out to a rectangle about 30 x 40cm (12 x 16″) with a floured rolling pin.

Put the flour, brown sugar and butter for the filling in a medium bowl and mix with a fork until it looks like wet sand, then smear the rectangle with it.

Take a sharp knife, dip the blade in flour as needed, and cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 6 equal pieces crosswise. Roll the strips of dough from the short edge then arrange them cut-side-up in the prepared muffin tins, squishing them in as needed.

Repeat with the other half of the dough. I do it one by one this way so the first batch is ready to go into the oven earlier, that way the second batch doesn’t overproof.

At this point, the rolls can be covered and refrigerated overnight – just bring them to room temperature for an hour or so in the morning before rising and baking. Or you can freeze them – cover tightly in plastic wrap, transfer to freezer bags when completely frozen, then thaw before rising and baking.

Cover rolls loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).

Brush rolls with egg wash then bake one tray at a time in centre of oven for 20 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Remove to a wire rack to cool.