Banana Bread

Ingredients: 

• 4 nasty, overripe bananas 
• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar 
• ¼ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature 
• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur) 
• 1 tsp. kosher salt 
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda 
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional – I usually leave them out) 
• Nonstick spray for baking pans 

Steps 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Using a hand mixer at medium speed, blend bananas with sugar in a large bowl for about 2 minutes. Add melted butter and mix for another minute or so at medium speed.
•  Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula; add vanilla extract and eggs; beat again for a couple minutes and then scrape down the sides of the bowl again. In a smaller bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking soda.
• Add this dry mixture to the banana mixture and blend until all is incorporated. 
• If you are adding nuts, add them now (fold them into the batter using a rubber spatula). 
• Grease one large (9x5) loaf pan or two smaller loaf pans, using nonstick spray. 
• Pour the batter into your pan(s). 
• If baking in one large pan, test the loaf after 50 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean) – it will probably take an hour to bake unless you have a very “hot” oven. If using two smaller pans, check them after 45 minutes. 
• Cool the loaves in their pans for about 5 – 10 minutes, and then take them out of the pans to finish cooling on a rack (if you leave them in the pans to cool completely, the bottoms of the loaves will get soggy). For best results, do not cut while still very hot – and not too far in advance of when you plan to serve it.