Classic Banana Bread

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9x5-inch loaf pan
• •Large mixing bowl
• •Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Wooden skewer or thin knife for testing

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare your pan and oven

   Position a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter, then dust lightly with flour, tapping out the excess. Alternatively, line the bottom and long sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.

   A light-colored metal pan produces the most even browning. Dark pans absorb more heat and can overbrown the crust before the center sets.
2. 2

   Mash the bananas

   Peel your bananas into a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, crush them until mostly smooth with some small chunks remaining. You want about 1 1/2 cups of mashed banana. A few lumps are welcome here. They'll create pockets of intense banana flavor in the finished loaf.

   The bananas should be heavily spotted, soft to the touch, and fragrant. If your bananas aren't ripe enough, roast them unpeeled at 300°F for 20 minutes until blackened and soft.
3. 3

   Combine wet ingredients

   Pour the melted butter into the mashed bananas and stir to combine. The mixture will look slightly curdled. That's fine. Add the sugar and stir vigorously until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Beat in the egg and vanilla until the batter is smooth and uniform in color.

4. 4

   Add dry ingredients

   Sprinkle the baking soda and salt directly over the wet mixture and stir briefly to distribute. Add all the flour at once. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold the flour into the wet ingredients with gentle strokes. Stop the moment you no longer see dry flour. The batter should look thick and slightly lumpy. Overmixing develops gluten and produces a tough, tunneled crumb.

   Count your strokes if it helps. Fifteen to twenty folds should be plenty. A few small flour streaks are preferable to a tough loaf.
5. 5

   Add walnuts (optional)

   If using walnuts, fold them into the batter with two or three gentle strokes. Reserve a small handful to press into the top of the loaf before baking. This creates a beautiful presentation and signals what's inside.

6. 6

   Fill the pan

   Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and spread it evenly with your spatula. The batter will be thick and won't level itself. Smooth the top, creating a slight channel down the center if you want the characteristic split as it rises. Press reserved walnuts gently into the surface if using.

7. 7

   Bake until golden

   Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. The loaf is done when the top is deeply golden, the edges have pulled slightly from the pan, and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Wet batter on the skewer means more time. A completely clean skewer, particularly if inserted near the edges, may indicate overbaking.

   If the top browns too quickly before the center sets, tent loosely with aluminum foil for the final 15 minutes of baking.
8. 8

   Cool completely

   Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. This rest allows the structure to set. Run a thin knife around the edges, then turn the loaf out onto the rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes more. Resist cutting into it early. The crumb needs time to firm up, and the flavors deepen as it cools. A warm slice may seem appealing, but a room-temperature slice with butter is the revelation.

Chef Tips

• •Freeze overripe bananas in their peels for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature until soft, then squeeze the pulp directly into your bowl. The freezing breaks down cell walls further, intensifying both sweetness and moisture.
• •For deeper flavor, brown your butter before adding it to the bananas. Cook it until the milk solids turn amber and smell nutty, then cool slightly before mixing. This single step transforms ordinary banana bread into something memorable.
• •Swap half the flour for whole wheat pastry flour for a nuttier flavor and more fiber. The quick bread method is forgiving enough to handle this substitution without becoming dense.
• •Store wrapped tightly at room temperature for three days, or refrigerate for up to a week. This bread freezes beautifully. Wrap individual slices in plastic, then foil, and freeze for up to three months. Toast from frozen for a quick breakfast.

Advance Preparation

• •Banana bread improves overnight. Bake a day ahead and store wrapped at room temperature. The moisture redistributes and the banana flavor intensifies.
• •Mashed bananas can be prepared and refrigerated up to 24 hours ahead, or frozen for months. Bring to room temperature before mixing.
• •The batter should be baked immediately after mixing. Baking soda begins reacting with the acidic bananas right away, and waiting diminishes the rise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 55g)