Banana bread
A moist, tender loaf made with very ripe bananas, melted butter and brown sugar, mixed by hand in a single bowl.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 175°C. Grease a 900 g loaf tin and line the base and long sides with a strip of baking paper.
- 2
Mash the bananas in a large bowl with a fork until mostly smooth, leaving a few small lumps.
- 3
Stir in the melted butter, then the brown sugar, until evenly combined.
- 4
Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- 5
Sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda and salt over the mixture and stir them in well.
- 6
Add the flour and fold it in gently with a spatula, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain.
- 7
Scrape the batter into the tin and level the top.
- 8
Bake until risen and deep golden, and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
- 9
Leave the loaf to cool in the tin.
- 10
Lift it out using the paper and cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- The darker and more speckled the bananas, the sweeter and more fragrant the loaf. Bananas with black skins are ideal.
- If the top browns before the centre is cooked, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it for the last 15 minutes.
- Wrapped well, it keeps for 3 days at room temperature and slices more neatly on the second day.
Equipment
900 g (2 lb) loaf tin, Baking paper, Large mixing bowl, Fork, Spatula, Wire rack