Ultimate Banana Bread
So, what sets this recipe apart from your common, run of the mill banana bread? The short answer is incredible banana flavor. This recipe packs in 6 bananas of flavor in one loaf while maintaining a sturdy but not overly moist crumb. So how do they do it? Check out the recipe below and give it a try. I think you’ll agree. It is the ultimate Banana Bread.
Adapted from and inspired by a recipe on www.bakingbites.com
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½ t (3 g) salt 6 large very ripe bananas (about 2 ¼ lbs/1020 g), peeled
8 T (1 stick/113 g) unsalted butter , melted, cooled slightly
2 large eggs (room temperature)
¾ cup (5 ¼ oz/149 g) light brown sugar 1 t (4 g) vanilla extract
½ C (2 oz/57 g) walnuts, toasted coarsely chopped
2 t granulated sugar
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350° F. Spray 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.
Place 5 bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (you should have ½ to ¾ cup liquid).
Transfer liquid to small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.
Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in nuts. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Slice remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices. Shingle banana slices on top of either side of loaf, leaving 1½-inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.
Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
The texture is best when the loaf is eaten fresh, but it can be stored (cool completely first), covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
Makes: one 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch loaf
Click here for Baker's Notes
8 Aug 16 – Had 2 bunches of very ripe bananas on hand so I decided to make 2 loaves. It was an easy decision because making 2 was about as hard as making one. Batter came together as described above. Each loaf pan when filled with batter weighed approximately 1100 grams and filled pan about ¾ full. I did not have a banana to slice for the top so I garnished with sugar. Baked 61 minutes which produced perfectly crowned loaves. I still had wet batter after 55 minutes but none at 61 mins. Loaves were very aromatic while baking. Removed easily from pans after 15 mins.