ATK's Ultimate Banana Bread
This recipe is based heavily on the one in Cook's Illustrated.
1. Be sure to use over-ripe, heavily speckled, or even black bananas in this recipe.
2. Plan to slice and freeze 5 over-ripe bananas the day before, though it's not necessary. This recipe is made easier by thawing and using the frozen slices of 5 over-ripe bananas: since they release a lot of liquid naturally, you can bypass the microwaving step, as noted below.
3. Use an unfrozen over-ripe banana for the top of the loaf. A thawed frozen one will be too soft to slice.
4. ATK's preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches. If using a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness after 50 minutes.
5. The finished loaf can be stored after cooling by covering it tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
6. Plan to use a handheld mixer rather than a potato masher to blend the hot banana juice with the strained bananas in order to get a smooth mixture.
7. OPTIONAL: Add slices of a 6th over-ripe banana (not thawed from frozen!) to the top of the loaf, sprinkled with sugar. This might make the bread a dessert option. (See Step #21 below.)
8. When Liz made this recipe, she used only about 16 oz of banana for the loaf (half of the banana slices were fresh, and half were frozen slices that had been thawed). The bread still had a really nice flavor, and there was plenty of banana juice.
9. If using a smaller amount of banana--or even with a larger amount (Feb. 2014)--you can use a small sauce pan in Step #12 below, but if the strainer isn't stable, you may have to drain the bananas over a bowl.
10. One thing that's nice about this recipe is that there are a couple chunks of time to work on other parts of the recipe, or to do some clean up.
11. We increased the walnuts in 2017 from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup.
12. Liz says this recipe has a fairly low persnickety factor and a fairly high satisfaction rate.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
5 medium to large over-ripe bananas (1 to 1-3/4 lbs; about 30 oz)
8 Tbl unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 eggs
3/4 cups (5-1/4 oz) packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup (?) choc chips (optional)
2 tsp granulated sugar extra over-ripe banana for topping
Be sure the banana slices are thawed!
1. To prepare to toast the walnuts: Oven rack to middle position; oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cover a small baking sheet (or the bottom of a medium/small casserole dish) with parchment paper and place walnuts on it.
3. Toast walnuts for 6-7 minutes until fragrant. Don't overcook! Remove walnuts, let cool, and if needed, chop into appropriately sized pieces (very coarse).
4. Turn off oven for now to save energy. (:
5. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
NOTE: If you are using thawed banana slices, skip to Step #8 below.
For fresh slices of over-ripe banana:
6. In microwave-safe bowl, place slices of 5 bananas, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and cut 3-4 steam vents in plastic with paring knife.
7. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. NOTE: If using all 5 bananas, it's likely that juices will bubble over.
9. While the sliced banana is draining spray bread pan with nonstick cooking spray.
10. Melt the butter and set aside to cool a bit.
11. Add vanilla to the eggs and set aside.
12. Measure the brown sugar and set aside.
13. When the liquid is done draining, if necessary transfer it to a medium saucepan and place bananas into a medium bowl. Set aside.
14. Turn the oven back on to 350, and cook banana liquid over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid will bubble and become thicker.
15. Remove pan from heat, stir reduction over the bananas, and stir/mash with a back of a spoon until combined into a mush.
16. With a handheld mixer, mix banana-mush on medium for a few minutes until relatively smooth.
17. Whisk in butter, vanilla, eggs, and brown sugar. Don't add any walnuts or chocolate chips yet.
18. Pour the banana mixture over the flour mixture. Stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. 10. Melt the butter and set aside to cool a bit.
11. Add vanilla to the eggs and set aside.
12. Measure the brown sugar and set aside.
13. When the liquid is done draining, if necessary transfer it to a medium saucepan and place bananas into a medium bowl. Set aside.
14. Turn the oven back on to 350, and cook banana liquid over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid will bubble and become thicker.
15. Remove pan from heat, stir reduction over the bananas, and stir/mash with a back of a spoon until combined into a mush.
16. With a handheld mixer, mix banana-mush on medium for a few minutes until relatively smooth.
17. Whisk in butter, vanilla, eggs, and brown sugar. Don't add any walnuts or chocolate chips yet.
19. Gently fold in walnuts or chocolate chips, if using.
20. Scrape batter into prepared pan. If not topping with banana, sprinkle up to 2 tsp (or 1 slightly heaping "rounded teaspoon") of granulated sugar onto loaf. If topping with banana, see next step.
21. When topping with banana (to make it more appropriate as a dessert), slice the remaining banana diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Shingle banana slices on top of either side of loaf, leaving 1½-inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Then sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.
22. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes (check after 50 min if using a 9x5 bread pan).
23. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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