At the time of publishing this banana bread recipe, I have served it to people from about 12 countries around the world, so I can safely call it world famous. In fact, there is nothing particularly special about it, but it is probably one of my oldest recipes. It was copied from a blog that probably no longer exists, and hundreds of bananas and dozens of ovens later, it, like me, is not the same anymore.

Before we get to the ingredient list, we need to talk about something very important. It’s too early to talk about banana bread until your bananas look like this:

Don’t your bananas look like this yet? Let them listen to Led Zeppelin vinyl, watch a good movie together. Let them ripen, or better, overripe. Let them become less starchy and more sugary. The black specks promise you a richer flavor, a softer texture, and a more pronounced banana aroma.

So you’ve eaten most of your bananas and only have one left? Bananas freeze beautifully: just peel them, cut them in half, wrap them in a bag, and put the bag in the freezer. Repeat the process until you have three ripe bananas.

So, you already have three ripe bananas? Then on to the recipe!

Ingredients for banana bread

  • (over)ripe bananas, 3 pcs
  • butter, 90 g
  • egg, 1 pc
  • wheat flour, 180 g
  • baking powder, 8 g
  • sugar, 150 g

You will need to taste

  • vanilla extract
  • Greek yogurt, or sour cream
  • lemon juice
  • nuts
  • salt

Set the oven to 180 degrees. Separate 80g of butter into a small pan and put it on the lowest heat so that it simmers and slowly melts, but does not get very hot. Pour the rest of the butter into a rectangular bread pan and leave it as is for now.

Now let’s look at the cooking algorithm, it is quite classic for such baking: prepare dry, then wet ingredients, mix everything together, pour into the pan and send it to the oven.

Process A: Dry Ingredients.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Process B: Wet Ingredients

Toss the bananas in a bowl and add a little lemon juice. This will protect the bananas from oxidation and make the cake look much lighter. Mash with a fork until it is a smooth paste. Don’t try to achieve perfection, but don’t allow large lumps either.

Add the egg, a teaspoon each of yogurt and vanilla extract and mix. In two batches, add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, during which time the flour will absorb some of the liquid, the gluten will relax a little, and the baking powder will start working. Don’t skip this step and you will get a softer and more evenly risen cake.

Process C: The Finale.

While the ingredients in the dough are getting to know each other, you have time to make the final preparations. The butter that has already softened in the mold can be rubbed evenly over the bottom and walls. If you are using nuts, chop them finely.

Pour the dough into the mold, sprinkle nuts on top and put in the oven for 45 minutes.

You will understand that the cake is ready when you feel the persistent smell of bananas baking, and see a crack that looks like the mouth of a volcano in the middle of the cake. But it is better to rely on the internal temperature of 93-97 degrees, if you have a thermometer.

Remove the finished bread from the oven and let it cool for at least an hour. Do not cover to preserve a nice tender crust on top of the cake.

How to improve this recipe

Experiment with the filling! Try different nuts, chocolate, or even herbs. Serve the banana bread with ice cream or yogurt.

Grill a slice of banana bread. It’s an unexpected discovery, but after that, few cafes will be able to top your recipe.