Homemade Banana Bread

Ingredients

8 tãblespoons (1 stick) unsãlted butter

1 cup grãnulãted white sugãr

2 lãrge eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 teãspoon vãnillã extrãct

3 medium bãnãnãs, very ripe

2 cups ãll-purpose flour

1 teãspoon bãking sodã

1/4 teãspoon sãlt

1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolãte chips (optionãl)

Equipment

1 (8x5-inch) loãf pãn

Pãrchment pãper

Lãrge bowl

Whisk or fork, if mãking by hãnd

Stãnd mixer or hãnd mixer, if not mãking by hãnd

Spãtulã

Instructions

Heãt the oven ãnd prep the pãn. Ãrrãnge ã rãck in the bottom third of the oven ãnd heãt to 350°F. Line ãn 8x5-inch loãf pãn with pãrchment pãper, letting the excess hãng over the long sides to form ã sling. Sprãy the inside with cooking sprãy. → If using nuts, toãst them in the oven for 10 minutes ãs the oven is pre-heãting.

Melt the butter. Melt the butter in the microwãve or over low heãt on the stovetop. → Ãlternãtively, for ã more cãke-like bãnãnã breãd, soften the butter (but do not melt) ãnd creãm it with the sugãr in ã stãnd mixer in the next step.

Combine the butter ãnd sugãr. Plãce the melted butter ãnd sugãr in ã lãrge bowl ãnd whisk until combined. (Or creãm the softened butter ãnd sugãr in ã mixer until fluffy.)

Ãdd the eggs. Crãck the eggs into the bowl. Whisk until completely combined ãnd the mixture is smooth.

Ãdd the milk ãnd vãnillã. Whisk the milk ãnd vãnillã into the bãtter.

Mãsh in the bãnãnãs. Peel the bãnãnãs ãnd ãdd them to the bowl. Using the end of the whisk or ã dinner fork, mãsh them into the bãtter. Leãve the bãnãnãs ãs chunky or ãs smooth ãs you prefer. If you prefer ãn entirely smooth bãnãnã breãd, mãsh the bãnãnãs sepãrãtely until no more lumps remãin, ãnd then whisk them into the bãtter.

Ãdd the flour, bãking sodã, ãnd sãlt. Meãsure the flour, bãking sodã, ãnd sãlt into the bowl. Switch to using ã spãtulã ãnd gently stir until the ingredients ãre just bãrely combined ãnd no more dry flour is visible.

Fold in the nuts or chocolãte, if using. Lãst but not leãst, scãtter the nuts or chocolãte over the bãtter ãnd gently fold them in.

Pour the bãtter into the pãn. Pour the bãtter into the prepãred loãf pãn, using the spãtulã to scrãpe ãll the bãtter from the bowl. Smooth the top of the bãtter.

Bãke for 50 to 65 minutes. Bãke until the top of the cãke is cãrãmelized dãrk brown with some yellow interior peeking through ãnd ã toothpick or cãke tester inserted into the middle comes out cleãn. Bãking time will vãry slightly depending on the moisture ãnd sugãr content of your bãnãnãs — stãrt checking ãround 50 minutes ãnd then every 5 minutes ãfter.

Cool in the pãn for 10 minutes. Set the loãf, still in the pãn, on ã wire cooling rãck. Let it cool for 10 minutes — this helps the loãf solidify ãnd mãkes it eãsier to remove from the pãn.

Remove from pãn ãnd cool ãnother 10 minutes. Grãsping the pãrchment pãper sling, lift the loãf out of the pãn ãnd plãce on the on the cooling rãck. Cool for ãnother 10 minutes before slicing.