Here’s my recipe for banana bread.  I’ve written some notes at the bottom, but let’s start with the recipe itself.

Is this technology related? No, but it’s my website, and I think banana bread is nifty.

Estimated Time Investment

• 10 minutes to prepare
• 50 minutes to bake

Ingredients

• Four large bananas, very ripe (mine are usually frozen first, which makes them very easy to mush up)
• 150 grams white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 6 grams baking powder
• 6 grams baking soda
• 1/2 gram salt, or to taste
• 180 grams of flour
• 75 grams of butter, melted and slightly cooled (I use salted butter, because life is short)

Step 1

• Preheat your oven to 350f
• Prepare a loaf pan by first liberally oiling the inside, and then adding a strip of parchment paper to aid in lifting out the finished loaf
• I said oil the pan. Not butter. Butter is going to burn, I promise. 
• Use a neutral oil. I use Pam, because it’s convenient
• Wrap your soaked cake strip around the outside of the pan, if you’re using one (see notes at the bottom)
• Set the prepared pan aside

Step 2

• In a LARGE bowl, mash the bananas to a level of homogeneity that works for you
• Add the sugar
• Add the egg
• Mix these first three ingredients until thoroughly combined

Step 3

• Melt the butter
• Let the butter cool until it is less than 165 degrees f, as this is the temperature at which egg cooks
• When it has cooled, mix it into the banana/sugar/egg mixture

Step 4

• In a separate bowl, sift in the flour
• Sift in the baking powder
• Sift in the baking soda
• Add the salt
• Give it all a good stir

Step 5

• Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients
• Stir until no lumps of flour remain
• SCRAPE THE SIDES AND BOTTOM OF THE BOWL
• Stir in the flour that was hiding at the bottom
• Gently fold a cup or so of whatever add-ins you like, such as chocolate chips

Step 6

• Bake until the loaf reaches 200f inside
• Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes
• Use the parchment paper to lift it out onto a cooling rack
• Let it cool for at least 20 minutes
• Consume it

Notes

Important:  I get my best results by far, by using a cake strip around the loaf pan when baking this.  This helps the outside to not overcook, before the inside is finished.  Mine was a six pack of various sizes that came from Amazon. 

As noted, I’m not fussy about salted or unsalted butter. Adjust the salt to your preferences.

 

This is a depression-era recipe, which is why it’s so stingy with the eggs and butter.  In spite of that, it works very well. 

For the same reason, I always make this recipe by hand, instead of with a stand mixer.  It doesn’t necessitate any power tools.

The original recipe used volumetric measurements, but so help me God I refuse to perpetuate such an unserious method of measurement.