My Sun Oven and quick google search saved four extremely ripe bananas from winding up in the compost bin this morning.

The recipe I found is so simple it was hard not to add anything to it. If you like you could add cinnamon or some walnuts, but I like the way it really tastes like bananas.

Sun Oven Banana Bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

4 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 teaspoon pura vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pura vanilla extract

Preparation

Set Sun Oven out to preheat.

Butter and flour a standard loaf pan, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using an electric mixer. Add the eggs, bananas, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Stir the dry ingredients into the banana mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the Sun Oven until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

Cool completely in the pan. Carefully turn the loaf out onto a cutting board.

Wrap any uneaten portion in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Summer gardens tend to yield plenty of zucchini. This bread is a good way to use some of them. I use a bread machine to mix and knead the dough, but I’m sure it could be done by hand.

Sun Oven Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

7 tablespoons buttermilk

1 generous cup water

1 1/3 cups grated zucchini

4 1/2 cups white bread flour

1 cup whole-wheat bread flour

2 tablespoons hulled sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons hulled pumpkin seeds

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise active dry yeast

cornmeal, for sprinkling

Preparation

Pour the buttermilk and water into the bread machine pan. Sprinkle the grated zucchini over the liquid. Cover the liquid and zucchini with the flours. Add the sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Place the salt, sugar, and butter in separate corners of the bread pan. Make a shallow indentation in the center of the flour and add the yeast. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and press start.  At the end of the cycle turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently punch down. Cut the dough in half and shape it into two loaves. Put the dough in two lightly oiled bread pans. Cover the pans with oiled plastic wrap. Let the loaves rise in a warm spot 30 to 45 minutes. Set the Sun Oven out to preheat while the loaves are rising.  Brush the loaves with water and sprinkle with cornmeal. Bake in the Sun Oven until the bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Maple syrup, oats, and the power of the sun. What’s not to like about this bread?

Sun Oven Maple Oat Bread

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups water

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 cups white bread flour

1 cup whole wheat bread flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon rapid-rise active dry yeast

Preparation

Pour the water into the pan of a bread machine and add the maple syrup. Sprinkle the flours and oats over the water mixture making sure to completely cover it.

Place the salt, sugar, and butter in separate corners of the pan. Make a shallow indentation in the center of the flour and add the yeast. Set the machine to the dough setting and press start.

When the cycle has finished turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and punch down gently. Shape the dough into a loaf and put it in a lightly oiled bread pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot 30 to 40 minutes. Set the Sun Oven out to preheat while the bread rises.

Bake until lightly golden and sounds hollow when tapped, 45 minutes to an hour.

Baked, steamed, or leftover mashed sweet potatoes can be used in this super moist bread. If using mashed leftovers that had milk or butter added to them you’ll probably need to use a little less water.

Sun Oven Sweet Potato bread

Ingredients

7/8 cup water

3 cups white bread flour

2 tablespoons rolled oats

1 1/2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk

1 1/2 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon rapid-rise active dry yeast

rolled oats for topping

Preparation

Pour the water into the pan of a bread machine. Sprinkle the flour, oats, and dry milk over the water making sure to completely cover it. Add the mashed sweet potato.

Place the salt, sugar, and butter in separate corners of the pan. Make a shallow indentation in the center of the flour and add the yeast. Set the machine to the dough setting and press start.

When the cycle has finished turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and punch down gently. Shape the dough into a loaf and put it in a lightly oiled bread pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot 30 to 40 minutes. Set the Sun Oven out to preheat while the bread rises. Just before putting the bread in the Sun Oven spray the top with water and a sprinkling of rolled oats.

Bake until lightly golden and sounds hollow when tapped, 45 minutes to an hour.

Traditionally these buns are made with currants, not raisins. If your market carries them, mine doesn’t, go ahead and use them instead. I’m not sure it makes much difference.

Sun Oven Chelsea Buns

Ingredients

For the Dough

1 cup milk

1 egg

4 1/2 cups white bread flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon rapid-rise active dry yeast

For the Filling

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2/3 cup raisins

3 tablespoons chopped candied orange peel

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Glaze

1/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons water

Preparation

Pour the milk in to the pan of a bread machine. Add the egg. Cover the milk and egg completely with the flour. Add the salt, sugar, and butter in separate corners of the pan. Make a shallow indention in the center of the flour and add the yeast. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and press start. Lightly grease a 9-inch square cake pan. When the dough cycle has finished turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch the dough down and roll it into a 12-inch square. Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle it with the raisins, candied orange peel, brown sugar, and cinnamon leaving a 1/2-inch border along one edge. Starting at the covered edge opposite the uncovered edge roll the dough up jelly roll fashion. Cut the roll into 12 slices and place them in the prepared pan, cut side up. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes. Set the Sun Oven out to preheat while the buns are rising.

Bake the buns until golden, 40 minutes to 1 hour. Let them cool slightly in the pan then turn them out onto a wire rack. Mix the sugar and water for the glaze in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved. Boil rapidly until the mixture is syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes. Brush the glaze over the warm buns.

Rich, buttery, soft rolls from a traditional British recipe. Using a bread machine to knead the dough and a Sun Oven to bake them means next to no work for the baker. This recipe makes a dozen rolls and fits perfectly in the Sun Oven’s cooking chamber.

Sun Oven Bridge Rolls

Ingredients

1 egg

7 tablespoons milk

2 cups white bread flour

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon rapid-rise active dry yeast

Additional milk for glazing

Preparation

Pour the egg and the milk into the pan of a bread machine. Sprinkle the flour over the liquid making sure to cover it completely.  Add the salt, sugar, and butter in separate corners of the pan. Make a shallow indentation in the center of the flour (be careful to not go down as far as the liquid) and add the yeast. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and press start. Line a dehydrating rack with parchment paper or lightly oil a baking sheet 12 x 8-inch baking sheet. When the cycle has finished, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently punch down. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Keep the pieces covered with oiled plastic wrap. Shape each piece into a tapered roll. Arrange the rolls on the parchment paper in two rows of six placed close together. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, they should be touching each other, 30 to 45 minutes. Set Sun Oven out to preheat while the rolls are rising. Brush with milk and bake until lightly browned, 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool, then separate.

These soft whole-wheat rolls are good for sandwiches or with jam and butter. Hot out of the Sun Oven they make a great afternoon snack.

If you don’t have the dehydrating racks or some other way to fit all the rolls in the cooking chamber in one go, they can be baked in batches. Keep the excess rolls in the refrigerator while the first batch rises. Take them out to let rise while the first batch bakes. As usual, I use a bread machine to mix the dough. You can use a stand mixer or your hands if you prefer.

Sun Oven Whole-Wheat Rolls

Ingredients

2/3 cup milk

2/3 cup water

2 cups whole-wheat bread flour

2 cups white bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon rapid-rise active dry yeast

Milk for glazing

Whole-wheat bread flour for dusting

Preparation

Line dehydrating racks with parchment paper or baking mats.

Pour the milk and water into the pan of a bread machine. Sprinkle the flours over the liquids to cover completely. Add the salt and sugar in separate corners of the pan. Make a shallow indentation in the center of the flour and add the yeast. Set machine to the dough setting. Press start. When the cycle is done turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 10 pieces and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Take one piece of dough, shape it into a ball with your hands and roll it into a flat oval using a rolling pin. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Arrange the rolls on the prepared racks. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot 30 to 45 minutes. Set the Sun Oven out to preheat while the rolls are rising. Brush each roll with milk and dust with whole-wheat flour. Bake until lightly browned, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

This tasty bread is just of one the ways I use the sun-dried tomatoes from my Sun Oven. Purchased sun-dried tomatoes also work if you didn’t get a chance to dehydrate your own last summer.

Sun Oven Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 1/4 cups water

2/3 cups milk

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 cups white bread flour

1 cup whole-wheat bread flour

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise active dry yeast

Preparation

Put the sun-dried tomatoes in small bowl with enough water to just cover them. Let soak 15 minutes. Drain over a measuring cup to reserve the water. Finely chop the tomatoes. Set aside.

If needed, add water to the measuring cup to reach the 1 1/4 cups called for. Pour the water, milk, and oil into the bread machine pan. Cover the liquid with the flours. Sprinkle the cheese over the flour. Add the sugar and salt in separate corners of the pan. Make a shallow indentation in the center of the flour and add the yeast. Set the bread machine to the dough setting. Press start. Add the sun-dried tomatoes at the beep or during the last minutes of kneading.

At the end of the cycle turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently punch down. Cut the dough in half and shape it into two loaves. Put the dough in two lightly oiled bread pans. Cover the pans with oiled plastic wrap. Let the loaves rise in a warm spot 30 to 45 minutes. Set the Sun Oven out to preheat while the loaves are rising. Bake in the Sun Oven until the bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Multi-grain bread fresh out of the Sun Oven is always a hit. Results will vary depending on the brand of flour; I use King Arthur. You could even experiment with your own mixture if you’re a braver baker than I.

Sun Oven Multi-Grain Bread

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups water

6 cups multi-grain bread flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise (instant) active dry yeast

Preparation

Pour the water into the bread machine pan. Sprinkle the flour over the water making sure to cover it completely. Add the salt, sugar, and butter in separate corners of the pan. Make a shallow indentation in the center of the flour and add the yeast. Set the bread machine to the dough setting. Press start. Check the dough after a few minutes of kneading and add a little more water if needed. At the end of the cycle turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently punch down. Cut the dough in half and shape it into two loaves. Put the dough in two lightly oiled bread pans. Cover the pans with oiled plastic wrap. Let the loaves rise in a warm spot 30 to 45 minutes. Set the Sun Oven out to preheat while the loaves are rising. Bake in the Sun Oven until the bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Tuesday, weather permitting, is my bread baking day. Today I was caught a bit off guard when the thick morning fog gave way to a beautiful sunny day. With only one type of flour on hand a simple white bread was my only option. This recipe is about as simple as they get.

Ingredients

2 cups water

6 cups white bread flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise (instant) active dry yeast

Preparation

Pour the water into the bread machine pan. Sprinkle the flour over the water making sure to cover it completely. Add the salt, sugar, and butter in separate corners of the pan. Make a shallow indentation in the center of the flour and add the yeast. Set the bread machine to the dough setting. Press start. Check the dough after a few minutes of kneading and add a little more water if needed. At the end of the cycle turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently punch down. Cut the dough in half and shape it into two loaves. Put the dough in two lightly oiled bread pans. Cover the pans with oiled plastic wrap. Let the loaves rise in a warm spot 30 to 45 minutes. Set the Sun Oven out to preheat while the loaves are rising. Bake in the Sun Oven until the bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped, 45 minutes to 1 hour.