JB's Banana Bread
Recipe above video. The wait is finally over! After weeks of testing, tweaking and plenty of taste-testing, my banana bread is finally ready to share. Crispy golden top, caramelised sides, and a soft crumb with big banana flavours that slices like a dream. Let’s go!For metric measurements, click on the "metric" button at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
- plain flour / all-purpose flour
- baking soda )
- cooking salt / kosher salt )
- cinnamon powder
- allspice powder
- ripe banana )
- tightly packed cup brown sugar
- egg + 1 egg yolk )
- sour cream )
- 80g unsalted butter
- vegetable oil
- vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat oven and line loaf pan. Whisk dry ingredients together. In a seperate bowl, mash bananas, then mix in the rest of wet ingredients. Add dry to wet and mix gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) 70 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Arrange the shelf so the loaf will sit in the middle of the oven.
- Prepare the pan - Scrunch a 40 cm / 16" sheet of baking / parchment paper and press it into a loaf pan (21.5 x 11.5 x 7 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 x 2.75"), leaving overhang on the sides for easy lifting.
- Whisk dry - Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice until well combined.
- Mash Bananas - In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Measure out 1 3/4 cups - save the excess for your morning smoothie. (Note 4)
- Add wet - Add the brown sugar, eggs, extra yolk, sour cream, melted butter, oil and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
- Add dry - Pour the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold gently with a spatula until the flour is just incorporated. Having a few little flour lumps is ok, it's better than overmixing which will make your banana bread firmer rather than soft.
- Fill pan - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
- Bake - Put the banana bread in the oven and bake for 70 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean (turning the pan around halfway through cooking). While cooking, a crack will naturally appear along the top of your banana bread. The centre continues to expand, it pushes through the firm crust, creating that classic split. (Note 5)
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out, and place on a wire rack. Let it cool for an hour before slicing. (Note 6)
- Serving - Serve banana bread slices slightly warm or at room temperature. It’s great on its own, or spread with a little butter. Perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or a quick snack any time of the day.