My favorite banana bread recipe is from the Joanne Chang first Flour cookbook. I use less sugar and just add a pinch of cinnamon. I use about 3-4 very ripe bananas. In the freezer I keep old bananas then microwave pour off water and stir until bananas are mixed and almost a paste. Be careful to whisk or sift the flour well to avoid bad tasting pieces of baking soda. I really like the Flour recipes. They always come out well and the ingredients have weights for using a digital scale. I usually omit the nuts since some family members do not like them but toasted walnuts add a nice flavor. You can add them to one side to have some pieces with nuts.
The banana bread lasts a few days if covered. Usually the banana bread gets eaten within a day because it is so good. I like eating the next day or two after toasting and spreading peanut butter over a slice.
Ingredients
- 3/4 c (180g) sugar (recipe calls for 230g but I prefer less)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 t baking soda
- 1/4 t ground cinnamon
- 1/2 c (100g) canola oil
- 3-4 ripe bananas, if frozen microwave, mix with fork until smooth
- 2 T sour cream, creme frache, or plain yogurt
- 1 t vanilla
- 3/4 c (75g) toasted walnuts (toast and chop)
Steps
- heat oven to 325
- butter bread loaf pan ~9x5, can sprinkle little flour mix around and shake out
Use whisk in mixer
- beat sugar and eggs in mixer first slow to mix for 30s then medium for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy
- while mixer running mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon sift or whisk making sure mixed well
- when sugar and eggs are mixed turn whisk to low and slowly add oil
- add bananas, sour cream/yogurt/creme frache, vanilla to mixing bowl
Spatula flour and banana mixture
- add flour mixture to mixing bowl
- mix with spatula until there are no flour streaks
- scrape mixture into buttered bread pan
Bake in oven
- optional: add toasted walnuts or sprinkle some sugar on top
- bake for 60-70 minutes at 325
- top of banana bread should be brown
- check with toothpick in middle, should come out clean when done
- when done let cool in pan for 10 minutes, may run butter knife around edges of pan the slide bread out of pan to let cool further
