Ultimate Banana Bread
Recipe: #22448
January 10, 2016
Categories: Breads, Eggs, Banana, Brunch, Potluck, Oven Bake, Vegetarian, Quick Breads, Sugar, Kosher Dairy, more
"This banana bread is very bananey and looks really pretty with the bananas on top. A bit more work than the usual but worth it. Recipe source: Cook's Illustrated"
Ingredients
Nutritional
- Serving Size: 1 (138.1 g)
- Calories 340.9
- Total Fat - 14.5 g
- Saturated Fat - 6.7 g
- Cholesterol - 66.1 mg
- Sodium - 260.7 mg
- Total Carbohydrate - 49.6 g
- Dietary Fiber - 2.8 g
- Sugars - 24.8 g
- Protein - 5.4 g
- Calcium - 21.8 mg
- Iron - 0.8 mg
- Vitamin C - 6.2 mg
- Thiamin - 0.1 mg
Step by Step Method
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2
Spray a loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2) with non-stick spray.
Step 3
In a large bowl whisk the dry ingredients (flour - salt) together.
Step 4
Place 5 bananas in a separate bowl, cover, and microwave until bananas are soft and have released liquid (5 minutes). Transfer bananas to a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally (15 minutes) - you should get about 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup liquid.
Step 5
Transfer the liquid to a saucepan and cook over medium high heat until reduce to 1/4 cup (5 minutes). Stir the microwaved bananas in the reduced liquid and mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Whisk in the butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla.
Step 6
Stir banana mixture into the dry mixture. Fold in walnuts, if using. Scrap batter into prepared loaf pan. Slice remaining banana diagonally into 1/4 inch slices. Shingle banana slices on top of loaf in 2 rows, leaving 1 1/2 inch wide space down center. Sprinkle with the granulated sugar evenly over the loaf.
Step 7
Bake for 55-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let loaf cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out on a cooling rack and let finish cooling for at least one hour.
Tips
No special items needed.