Banana bread is oh-so-simple... yet like many simple recipes, requires a few out of the ordinary ingredients to bring it from potentially boring to memorable. A hint of spice, honey for sweetness and moist texture, and one final touch—a few spoonfuls of jam—distinguish this tasty bread from run-of-the-mill versions.
Our guarantee: This moist, dense banana bread is a deep golden brown, with mild-to-medium banana flavor and a light touch of spice.
Baking gluten-free? For great results, substitute King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for the all-purpose flour in this recipe; no other changes needed.
From amaranth to teff, ancient grains offer a world of baking possibilities. Find out how to make this recipe using ancient grains in our complete guide to baking with ancient grains.
Ingredients
- 113g unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 142g brown sugar, light or dark, firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 340g mashed ripe bananas ( about 1 pound, unpeeled)
- 64g apricot jam or orange marmalade, optional but tasty
- 85g honey
- 2 large eggs
- 269g King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- 57g chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan; or a 12" x 4" tea loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, beating till smooth.
- Add the mashed bananas, jam, honey, and eggs, again beating until smooth.
- Add the flour, then the walnuts, stirring just until smooth.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Bake the bread for 45 minutes, then gently lay a piece of aluminum foil across the top, to prevent over-browning.
- Bake for an additional 25 minutes (20 minutes if you're baking in a tea loaf pan). Remove the bread from the oven; a long toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean, with at most a few wet crumbs clinging to it. The tester shouldn't show any sign of uncooked batter. If it does, bake the bread an additional 5 minutes, or until it tests done.
- Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove it from the pan, and cool it completely on a rack.
source : http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/banana-bread-recipe