Mixing and First Rise

Bloom the instant yeast for 2-3 minutes by combining it in a small bowl with the warm water and sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, mix the slightly warmed milk, honey, and egg.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the yeast-sugar-water and mix thoroughly. Cover and let the dough sit about 15 minutes to develop the the gluten.

Pour the oil over the dough and work it in by squishing and kneading for several minutes. Cover and let the dough rest another 15 minutes.

Do 1-2 rounds of stretching and folding with a 15-minute rest in between.

Cover and let the dough rise for another 1.5-2 hours or until the dough has doubled. In a warm summer kitchen, my dough rose for about 2 hours total from initial mixing to doubled. In a cooler kitchen, the dough may need longer.

Shaping and Second Rise

Wash and dry your banana leaves.

Line a 9" springform pan with the leaves, making sure you have excess for wrapping over the top of the dough. (See the photo gallery below)

Lightly oil the leaves on all parts that will touch the dough.

Gently scrape the dough out of your bowl and into the pan. With damp fingertips, press the dough to gently de-gas it and spread it evenly in the pan. Wrap the leaves over the top of the dough, not tightly on top but with no exposed dough.

Let the dough rise again for 1-1.5 hours until the leaves/dough are cresting over the top edge of the pan.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place the pan on the middle rack and bake for 55 minutes. Check on the bread partway through the bake and carefully re-cover it with the leaves if some pop off from the oven spring. Bread in a heavier/thicker pan may need longer to bake. Aim for an internal temp over 200F.

After baking, pop open the springform latch and let the bread cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before removing it from the pan and peeling off the leaves.

Serve warm if desired, for breakfast, snack, or dessert.