Just Really Good Banana Bread--Two Ways

Warm banana bread is a delicious breakfast treat!

Who doesn't like a thick slice of warm banana bread slathered with real butter with their morning coffee or tea? This breakfast treat never last long and I love how my morning kitchen smells as the loaf bakes away in the oven. The scent of warm banana makes it near impossible to let the loaf cool completely before we slice into it! 

In my opinion, the best recipe for banana bread, while definitely more time-consuming than most, is from the ever excellent America's Test Kitchen. Their Ultimate Banana Bread has the perfect texture, flavor, and sweetness, with a surprise technique that intensifies the coveted banana flavor. 

That said--take a look at a second older, much simpler, yet equally delicious option from the classic 1968 Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, which I have made for years (sorry-no YouTube video). So, depending on your morning mood and how much time you want to devote to a quick breakfast bread, you now have two excellent options. 

A classic-1968 Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Better Homes and Gardens' recipe--short and sweet - literally!
I make the coffee bread in a loaf pan instead of a 9x9x2-inch pan.

Some bakers alter banana bread to make it "healthier", but I figure I'm already having a fruit, which balances out the white flour, real butter and sugar right? Experiment if you like with white whole wheat flour, spelt flour or whatever meets your dietary needs, but be careful, as the change in flours or fat definitely alters density, texture and taste. I prefer all-purpose flour for this recipe, or a combination of all-purpose and white whole wheat. Applesauce or yogurt can be used as a replacement for the butter or shortening. The taste will be fine, but the end result will not be as rich or moist.  
 

Dry ingredients are sifted together for the BH&G recipe.

I sometimes add a heaping tablespoon of chia or flax seeds instead of nuts--my nod to adding more healthy fiber to my diet. I suppose you could add both, but I'm not a big fan of nuts in my breads. The tiny chia seeds, however, add a nutty crunch, and I especially like how the little specks look in the sliced bread. As with any recipe, bake this bread the first time using the best original ingredients--then re-create it as your diet dictates. Once you know how the bread is meant to taste, add or subtract ingredients making the recipe yours. 
 
My advice--don't mess with America's Test Kitchen's excellent staff's creations. The caramelized bananas on top of the baked bread are amazing! Be sure and watch the video they provide on their website. If you're not already a member, register for access to their extensive source of recipes.   

Enjoy!


Banana Coffee Bread
Better Homes and Gardens 1968
Makes one 9-inch loaf

Printable Recipe 

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup mashed very ripe banana
1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional: add 1 heaping tablespoon chia or flax seeds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan (or coat with non-stick spray). 
Cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in banana. 

Sift together dry ingredients; add to banana mixture. Add nuts and/or seeds if using.

Chia or flax seeds can be added for additional fiber.

Gently scrape batter into prepared pan.

 

Smooth top of batter. A split in the top when done is normal.

Bake in center of oven @ 350°F for 30-35 minutes
Test after 30 minutes with toothpick or cake tester.
Bread is done when tester emerges clean.

Pour mixture into well-greased loaf pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick or cake tester inserted in middle of bread comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in pan. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to make sure bread is released. Then remove from pan and cool on wire rack. 

When cool, wrap well or freeze. I keep mine on the kitchen counter until a glass cake dome for easy serving. It never seems to make it to the freezer! The original recipe calls for baking in a 9x9x2-inch pan--more of a coffee cake than bread. I prefer it baked in a loaf pan. 



Ultimate Banana Bread  

America's Test Kitchen Season 11: Coffee Break Sweets
 

Makes one 9-inch loaf

Be sure to use very ripe, heavily speckled (or even black) bananas in this recipe. This recipe can be made using 5 thawed frozen bananas; since they release a lot of liquid naturally, they can bypass the microwaving in step 2 and go directly into the fine-mesh strainer. Do not use a thawed frozen banana in step 4; it will be too soft to slice. Instead, simply sprinkle the top of the loaf with sugar. The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness five minutes earlier than advised in the recipe. The texture is best when the loaf is eaten fresh, but it can be stored (cool completely first), covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 6 large very ripe bananas (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled (see note)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Instructions

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.
• 2. Place 5 bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (you should have ½ to ¾ cup liquid).
• 3. Transfer liquid to medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.
• 4. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Slice remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices. Shingle banana slices on top of either side of loaf, leaving 1½-inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.
• 5. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Technique

• Do the Ripe Thing

  Don’t even think of making banana bread with anything less than very ripe, heavily speckled fruit—unless you’re fine with a bland loaf. As bananas ripen, their starch converts to sugar at an exponential rate. In lab tests, we found heavily speckled bananas had nearly three times the amount of fructose (the sweetest of the sugars in fruit) than less spotty bananas. (The exact percentage will vary from fruit to fruit.) But the impact of ripeness only goes so far: We found little difference in sweetness between loaves baked with completely black bananas and those made with heavily speckled ones.
  
• TOO SOON
  1.8% FRUCTOSE
  A lightly speckled banana has only a little fructose, the sweetest sugar in fruit.
  
• JUST RIGHT
  5.3% FRUCTOSE
  A heavily speckled banana has a lot more fructose.
  

Technique

• Who Knew? Bananas Have Juice

  
  Typical banana bread contains just three pieces of fruit. Here’s how we upped the number to five without turning the loaf into pudding.
  
• 1. EXTRACT JUICE
  Microwaving ripe bananas for 5 minutes causes them to release “juice.”
  
• 2. STRAIN IT OUT
  After straining the bananas, you should have 1/2 to 3/4 cup of liquid to work with.
  
• 3. REDUCE THE JUICE
  Reducing the banana liquid yields a concentrated liquor, intensifying flavor without making the loaf wet.
  

Technique

• Shingle Your Loaf

  Layering thin banana slices on either side of the loaf adds even more banana flavor to our bread (and brings the total number of bananas in the recipe to six). To ensure an even rise, leave a 1½-inch-wide space down the center.