PERFECT BANANA BREAD

A classic that I have always found to be too dated with flat flavor. Respecting the perfect simplicity of what banana bread should be, the flavors are all enhanced with a bit of extra salt and the best quality ingredients. Tastes amazing out of the oven, but best the day after baking and even better after being frozen and defrosted.

Banana Bread
Recipe: Candice Hunsinger
9″ x 5″ loaf pan, Serves 6-8 (or use an 8″ x 3″ round cake pan if you don’t have a loaf pan)

Ingredients
*ALL of your ingredients should at room temperature – leave on the counter out the night before, or a minimum of 4 hours, before baking.

4 oz. (1 stick or 115g) unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
1 c. (250g) Brown Sugar
1 tsp (4g) Vanilla Extract
1 tsp (6g) Himalayan Pink Salt
2 large Eggs
1/4 c. (85g) Greek Yogurt (or Sour Cream)
4 large (approx. 430g) Bananas, super ripe (you want to see a lot of brown spots)
1 1/3 c. (185g) All Purpose Flour
1 tsp (5g) Baking Soda
1 c. Chocolate Chips and/or walnuts (optional)

PROCESS
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
Butter pan or line with parchment paper.

1. In medium sized mixing bowl combine butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk until smooth.
2. Add eggs and whisk until frothy. Scrape down the sides and bottom with a spatula and whisk again for full incorporation.
3. Add the greek yogurt and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides, if needed.
4. Squeeze the bananas in the peel to soften them. Scrape the bananas out of the peel into your butter and egg mixture. Whisk until bananas are mixed in thoroughly with very few pieces of banana to be seen, but some is perfectly fine.
5. Add flour and baking soda, and nuts or chocolate chips (or anything else you fancy), and mix with a spatula until there are no traces of flour. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again to ensure full incorporation. Do not over-mix once the flour has been absorbed.
6. Pour batter into pan and smooth until the top is level.
7. Bake in center of oven at 350 degrees for 60-70 min or until set (a toothpick comes out clean, and it springs back to the touch).
8. Take out of oven, and let cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours before cutting!
9. If freezing, triple wrap in plastic wrap and then a single layer of foil.