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There’s banana bread, and then there’s this banana bread.<\/strong> This is that banana bread.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n After years of testing\u2014too-dry loaves, dense loaves, loaves that looked beautiful but tasted ordinary\u2014I finally cracked the code. The secret isn’t one thing. It’s a combination of small choices that add up to something extraordinary: the right fat, the right mixing method, the right ratio of wet to dry, and most importantly, bananas so ripe they’re practically begging to be baked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This recipe will ruin you for all other banana breads. You’ve been warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why This Banana Bread “Melts in Your Mouth”<\/strong> Buttermilk or yogurt \u2013 The acid tenderizes gluten for an impossibly soft crumb<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brown sugar \u2013 More moisture than white sugar alone<\/p>\n\n\n\n Very ripe bananas \u2013 The darker, the better (we’re talking black-peel territory)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gentle mixing \u2013 Overmixing develops gluten, which makes bread tough<\/p>\n\n\n\n Proper baking temperature \u2013 High enough to rise, low enough to stay tender<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ingredients<\/p>\n\n\n\n [adinserter block=”6″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wet Ingredients:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1\u00bd cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3-4 large bananas \u2013 the spottier, the better)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bd cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bc cup vegetable or canola oil<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 cup packed light brown sugar<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 large eggs, room temperature<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bd cup buttermilk or plain full-fat yogurt, room temperature<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 teaspoons vanilla extract<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dry Ingredients:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, not scooped)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 teaspoon baking soda<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bd teaspoon baking powder<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bd teaspoon salt<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, but wonderful)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Optional Add-Ins (Choose Your Adventure):<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (toasted is even better)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bd cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bd cup shredded coconut (toasted coconut on top is divine)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Method: Gentle, Patient, Perfect<\/strong> Step 2: Mash the Bananas<\/strong> Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients<\/strong> Melted butter (cooled so it doesn’t cook the eggs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oil<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brown sugar<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eggs (room temperature)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buttermilk or yogurt<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vanilla extract<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whisk until everything is well combined and smooth. The mixture will look slightly curdled if your ingredients weren’t perfectly room temperature\u2014this is fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [adinserter block=”7″]<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [adinserter block=”5″] There’s banana bread, and then there’s this banana bread.You know the kind I mean. The kind that practically…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.bollyent.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.bollyent.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.bollyent.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.bollyent.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.bollyent.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.bollyent.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5481\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.bollyent.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.bollyent.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.bollyent.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.bollyent.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
You know the kind I mean. The kind that practically dissolves on your tongue. The kind where the edges are perfectly golden and slightly crisp, but the inside is so tender, so moist, so impossibly soft that it feels like you’re eating a cloud flavored with butter and ripe bananas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extra fat from butter AND oil \u2013 Butter for flavor, oil for tenderness that lasts for days<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Preheat and Prep<\/strong>
Preheat your oven to 350\u00b0F (175\u00b0C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper leaving overhang on the long sides for easy removal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a large bowl, mash your very ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth but with a few small lumps for texture. You should have about 1\u00bd cups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the mashed bananas, add:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n