AuthorSarah RacineYield = one standard sized loaf.
This recipe is a nostalgic nod to my husband, Chad. His grandma makes the "best" banana bread, and this is an ode to her sweet recipe. We love this banana bread served with butter!
325F, or 300F convection, middle rack
Grease 1 standard size loaf pan.
In a 5-6 quart bowl and electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix in this order using "the creaming method". Remember, an electric mixer is strongly recommended for any recipe using a solid fat (unless you have incredible stamina and strength).
-Brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter- paddle until smooth on medium low speed, for 2 minutes . You can absolutely mix even longer; the lighter in color your butter gets, the more small air pockets will tenderize your product.
-Eggs, ONE AT A TIME, paddle until emulsified (no clumps, but a smooth texture), for cooked-timer 2 minutes="2"]2 minutes [/cooked-timer]. The batter should look smooth and light.
-Extract and mashed bananas, paddle until smooth on medium low speed, for 30 seconds . If you go longer, that's okay; it is impossible to overmix at this point.
- In a separate bowl, whisk all dry ingredients Take all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) for 30 seconds to combine in a separate bowl. This might seem superfluous, but this process helps to properly suspend ingredients of different densities.
-Add all dry into the mixing bowl, and gently paddle in dry ingredients on a low speed until dough just comes together, 45 seconds , DO NOT OVERMIX! You want to develop as little gluten as possible to prevent a tough and dry texture.
Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Optionally, you can let your batter rest for 10 minutes at room temperature, as this will help any gluten formed relax and will result in a more tender product.
Bake until the loaf is set, about 55-60 minutes, rotating the pan once after 30 minutes.
The loaf should pass the skewer test and spring back completely if lightly touched in the center.
Bake as muffins in a muffin tin and reduce bake time to 20 minutes.
If desired, add 2/3 cups chocolate chips or chopped nuts as you add the dry ingredients.
You can also top your loaf with cinnamon sugar before baking to create a nice top, or glaze it simply after baking.
Ingredients
Directions
325F, or 300F convection, middle rack
Grease 1 standard size loaf pan.
In a 5-6 quart bowl and electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix in this order using "the creaming method". Remember, an electric mixer is strongly recommended for any recipe using a solid fat (unless you have incredible stamina and strength).
-Brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter- paddle until smooth on medium low speed, for 2 minutes . You can absolutely mix even longer; the lighter in color your butter gets, the more small air pockets will tenderize your product.
-Eggs, ONE AT A TIME, paddle until emulsified (no clumps, but a smooth texture), for cooked-timer 2 minutes="2"]2 minutes [/cooked-timer]. The batter should look smooth and light.
-Extract and mashed bananas, paddle until smooth on medium low speed, for 30 seconds . If you go longer, that's okay; it is impossible to overmix at this point.
- In a separate bowl, whisk all dry ingredients Take all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) for 30 seconds to combine in a separate bowl. This might seem superfluous, but this process helps to properly suspend ingredients of different densities.
-Add all dry into the mixing bowl, and gently paddle in dry ingredients on a low speed until dough just comes together, 45 seconds , DO NOT OVERMIX! You want to develop as little gluten as possible to prevent a tough and dry texture.
Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Optionally, you can let your batter rest for 10 minutes at room temperature, as this will help any gluten formed relax and will result in a more tender product.
Bake until the loaf is set, about 55-60 minutes, rotating the pan once after 30 minutes.
The loaf should pass the skewer test and spring back completely if lightly touched in the center.
Bake as muffins in a muffin tin and reduce bake time to 20 minutes.
If desired, add 2/3 cups chocolate chips or chopped nuts as you add the dry ingredients.
You can also top your loaf with cinnamon sugar before baking to create a nice top, or glaze it simply after baking.
