by merrill
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3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan Ask a question about this ingredient
3 large, ripe bananas Ask a question about this ingredient
1 large egg, lightly beaten Ask a question about this ingredient
3/4 cups sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
2 cups all-purpose flour Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon baking soda Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon baking powder Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Ask a question about this ingredient
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F, and butter a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan.
Ask a question about this stepPeel the bananas and in a large mixing bowl, mash them well with a fork. Stir in the sugar and then the egg, mixing thoroughly. Stir in the butter.
Ask a question about this stepSift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Fold the dry ingredients gently into the wet, mixing just until you no longer see any streaks of raw flour. (Do not over-mix, or the banana bread will be tough!)
Ask a question about this stepPour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean and the bread is just starting to come away from the sides of the pan.
Ask a question about this stepCool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, and then turn out onto the rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. The bread has a lovely, crisp crust when it’s fresh; if you wrap the leftovers tightly in foil and eat them the next day, you’ll lose that crisp crust, but the texture and flavor will still be great -- if not even better.
Ask a question about this stepI made this bread today. It is really easy and my family loved it. It is almost gone!
excellent classic. I used half whole wheat "white" flour (what IS that exactly? can someone pls tell me!) - and half white flour. turned out great ... and makes me feel like it's a little healthier ... and my kids LOVE It.
excellent classic. I used half whole wheat "white" flour (what IS that exactly? can someone pls tell me!) - and half white flour. turned out great ... and makes me feel like it's a little healthier ... and my kids LOVE It.
I've made a lot of banana bread -- this is the best. Nice texture, caramelized on the outside, not too sweet, not too oily. The children approve, want to make some more immediately. Baked with four modifications: Four bananas instead of three, brown sugar instead of white, addition of toasted pecan pieces, and baked for 45 minutes and then left in the oven to cool.
Made this with half spelt flour, half plain flour and that worked really well. I did cut down the sugar to 100 grams though ( i think that's about half a cup), but made dulce de leche to put on top the slices....delish!
Quite tasty and much healthier than the variety I am used to making. In stead of a loaf I made muffins, but the only difference is in cook time. I used 6 medium bananas, mashed but not puree (chunks of banana give a bit more pow) and put in 1c brown sugar. Also threw in about 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate bits and sprinkled with sugar in the raw for a crunch on top. Delicious! Thank you so much for the base, I think I'll try adding some coconut to the next batch.
Always on the lookout for a "better" banana bread recipe, I made this as soon as I saw it. It's become my early Sunday morning recipe. I use a little more banana and add walnuts and pecans.
One more thing. The recipe calls for large bananas. It you are using smaller ones the dryness would be the result. Add an additional banana if yours are small and 1/2 banana if they are medium.
I had a few drops of butter left and poured them over the top, sprinkled a little turibano sugar on top of a bit of crunch.
I'm just eating my first piece and it truly is delicious. I may be able to add some help with the dryness a few bakers noted. My husband has owned bakeries since 1970. Professional bakers use a canned banana puree when making banana bread. It is simply ripe bananas thoroughly mashed which causes them to be more liquid. Something half way between a hand mashed banana and baby food (which has water). If you take the time to really mash the bananas into a soft puree the bread may be moister.
Additionally you could use brown sugar instead of granulated. It contains a little more molasses but not enough to really change the flavor. Additionally it contains m ore water and might make the bread a bit moister too.
I love the low fat content of this recipe, but found the result a little dry. Cook for less time? Add more butter?
I abosolutley addore banana bread - try adding nuts if you like them. It's just delicious !
- sarahskitchenblog.wordpress.com
this was amazing! my first time making banana bread, and it came out perfect.
I feel compelled to add another comment! I really think this is a recipe that keeps on giving... I have been trying to experiment with dairy-free and reduced wheat. I just made this recipe using four medium-sized bananas, coconut oil in the place of butter and using a cup and a half of whole spelt flour, one half cup organic AP white flour. Again, the bread is delicious indulgent, and my house smells divine. What can I say? Thanks for a great recipe.
I really liked this bread, but it wasn't as moist as I had expected to be - although, it's been a while since I'd made it, so I'm not sure if I'm remember how it's supposed to be.
I think next time I make this, I'm going to use 4 bananas instead of 3 - the banana flavor wasn't as strong as I thought it should be, even though the ones I used were very large.
All in all, a really good recipe!
Sorry you found it dry. Let me know how it works with 4 bananas!
I had some rapidly browning bananas about ten days ago and stuck them in the freezer. I defrosted three of them today and made this recipe using whole wheat flour for half the amount. It is delicious, and like chez nana says, my house smells divine.
Excellent!!! Great taste. Not overly sweet. :>
No brown sugar?? My mother's version, the same, always used brown sugar, which I've always loved. What's the difference, do you think?
This is just like my grandmother's (no doubt it's the small amount of butter), and though I was horrified at all those cooks who added chocolate chips (this is banana bread!) I threw in a handful of my cinnamon sugar as part of the sugar quota. Homey and delicious.
Thanks for this recipe! I made a vegan version of it and it came out amazingly moist inside with a beautiful crispy exterior. This is my new staple recipe for banana bread. Thanks for the inspiration!
This is in the oven right now!
Your photo really captures my feelings about banana bread. It's been a favorite in my family with my children. I long ago adapted a recipe similar to yours by adding a handful of chopped toasted pecans and a handful of coconut. So easy to whip up and so yummy!
I had three beautifully brown bananas (it's a sign, I say) screaming out to me to be made into this Bananal Bread. Easy, quick, and no nuts, thank you. My house smells divine and the bread is deliciously perfect. A keeper!!
I love how this has just 3 tablespoons of butter. Not very much fat, and looks delicious.
I have a question about the recipe "Banana Bread" from merrill.
Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot are the founders of the culinary consulting business Ideas in Food.
Loved this recipe, a simple classic. I used two parts white sugar and one part brown for a touch of extra moisture.