Too Hot to Bake? Need to Use Up Discard? Make Sourdough Tropical Mini Breads in Your Air Fryer

We have 90-plus-degree heat for more than two weeks now, and I've been trying to limit the oven time to keep the kitchen from becoming too hot. Nonetheless, we do want and get bread. I make the bread with my air fryer. Using the air fryer--also known as "Artie, the Air Fryer"--keeps the temperature in the kitchen down, takes less "bake" time than a regular oven, and enables me to turn out some pretty nice loaves. Sourdough Tropical Mini Bread, for example, is moist, lightly sweetened, and full of dried pineapple, crystallized ginger, and coconut. The quick loaves, which feature a slightly yeasty taste, are great for breakfast. Slices also go well with tea or can serve as an easy dessert. I use mini loaf pans that are approximately 5 x 3-inches, and I can fit two at a time into my air fryer. If you don't have the mini pans, you can also use small round cake pans. Although these are quick breads--meaning they can be baked immediately--I often let the batter sit out for an hour or so before I bake it for a more pronounced sourdough flavor.

Air Fryer Sourdough Tropical Mini Breads -- Makes 4 Loaves (approximately 5 x 3-inches)

1 cup of sourdough discard/starter (I use a whole wheat-based starter)

1/3 cup of canola oil

1 egg

1/3 cup of low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/4 cup of whole wheat flour (or just use all-purpose, if that's what you have)

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoon of baking power

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup of chopped dried pineapple

1/4 cup of chopped crystallized ginger

1/2 cup of shredded coconut

Turbinado/raw sugar to sprinkle (optional)

Spritz 4 mini loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray and dust the bottoms of the pans with a little flour. In a large bowl, combine the starter, oil, egg, buttermilk, brown sugar, and vanilla and mix them until they are well blended and the batter is smooth. Add the flours, baking powder, and salt and stir until barely combined. Stir in the dried pineapple, crystallized ginger, and coconut until everything is combined. Divide the batter among the pans. Sprinkle the top of the batter in each pan with a little turbinado sugar, if you like. Bake the loaves two at a time for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and a pick inserted in a loaf comes out with no wet batter attached. Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes before turning them out of their pans to cool completely. Repeat the process with the remaining two pans of batter.