Patrick Wayne's Banana Nut Bread

Patrick Wayne's Banana Nut Bread

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup mashed banana
1 cup sourdough starter (recipe below)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

In mixing bowl, cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg and mix until well blended. Stir in banana and sourdough starter (recipe below).

Sift flour, measure, and sift together with salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add flour mixture and walnuts to shortening mixture; stir until blended. Pour into greased 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F. 1 hour 5 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool well on wire rack before slicing.

Sourdough starter:

1 package (1/4 ounce) dry yeast
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups warm water

In bowl, mix yeast together with flour and warm water. Stir. Allow mixture to rise in warm place 3 days. Starter will be bubbly and will smell yeasty mixed With a touch of alcohol. Refrigerate, covered, between uses. Makes 2 cups starter.

Notes: Starter improves in flavor, especially after two weeks. To replenish, add 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water to starter. Set container in warm place 1 or 2 days. By then, starter will be back to full potency and ready to use again.

Even refrigerated, starter continues to grow and, after 1 or 2 days, begins to age. Overaged starter is characterized by mold, an absence of bubbles and sometimes an unpleasant odor. Do not discard it.
Revitalize it by sweetening it:

Discard all but 1 tablespoon of starter, making certain reserved portion is free from mold. Wash starter dough container carefully. Add 2 cups flour and 1 1/2 cups water. Proceed as if preparing new starter but do not add additional yeast. Since newly replenished starter is very active and doubles in bulk if left in a warm place, use a 1-quart container in initial preparation.