The Best Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1  and 3/4  cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 large very ripe bananas . peeled

8 Tablespoons butter –  (1 stick) melted and slightly cooled

2 large eggs

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/12 cup walnuts chopped (optional)

2 teaspoons sugar

 

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Spray 81/2 by 4 inch loaf pan with vegetable oil.

3.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk.

4. Place 5 peeled bananas in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, (use a knife and slit the wrap a few times to allow the steam to escape); and microwave  on high approx 5 minutes until bananas have released their liquid.

5. Transfer bananas to a fine mesh strainer  and place strainer over a bowl for approx 15 minutes.  You should have about 3/4 cup liquid.

6. Transfer liquid from bananas to a sauce pan and cook approx 5 minutes until you have reduced the liquid to 1/4 cup.

7. Place the strained bananas, the 1/4 cup reduced banana liquid, eggs, melted butter , brown sugar and vanilla in the same bowl you used to strain the banana liquid. Whisk together until combined.

8. Pour this banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Add walnuts if using.

9.Scrape batter into  the lightly greased pan. Tap the pan on the counter to even out the batter.

10 Sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of sugar.

11. Bake for 55-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

12.  Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack; and then remove the bread from the pan and continue to cool right side up.

13, Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

YIELD  1 loaf

 

I have made this banana bread several times and it never fails me.  It take a few more steps than your regular BB, but it is worth the effort.  I found this recipe in THE COMPLETE AMERICA”S TEST KITCHEN TV SHOW COOKBOOK 2001-2012.  This cookbook has become my new bible.  It tells you the why of things.  They wanted a lot of bananas for the flavor of the bread; and reducing the liquid evaporates out a lot of the water, and leaves you with a very intense banana flavor.

  I just made 3 little loaves out of this recipe,covered it with a butter cream icing and jimmies and will be giving these to my granddaughters for Halloween instead of candy. The little loaves baked approx 30 minutes. This is Mia’s favorite bread. I melt when she asks me to make this!

A few things to remember when making this bread:

Use room temperature ingredients, Always preheat your oven  and DO NOT OVER MIX!