Working at the Today Show means were often cooking tons of different recipes with various ingredients any given day of the week. One thing thats always a staple in our stock is Bananas!
We keep them around incase of banana emergencies: smoothies, banana splits, mid-day hunger, etc. Once every few weeks the bananas that don't get used get to a point where they look beyond consumption and are soon headed for the trash. Thats when my eyes light up because I get to make my infamous banana bread! Ive spent several months perfecting and tweaking this recipe to what I think is the best perfect no-frills banana bread recipe. Try it for yourself next time you have a couple over ripe bananas lying around and thank me later.
Banana Bread
Makes one 8x5 loaf
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup packed brown Sugar - (I prefer dark brown but light works great too!)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream or greek yogurt (I've subbed in creme fraiche before too)
2 eggs, room temperature
4 medium bananas, very ripe
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2-3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional but highly recommended
2-3 tablespoons turbinado sugar for topping
Instructions -
1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x5 loaf pan with parchment overhangs on one side, spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar and sour cream till light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4) Add eggs to creamed butter and sugar mixture one at a time. Mix together till combined.
5) In another medium bowl, mash bananas just until small lumps remain. Stir in lemon juice.
6) Add mashed banana mixture to batter in the stand mixer. Stir to combine. Slowly add in flour mixture until just a few streaks of flour remain. Fold in chocolate chips.
7) Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top with with turbinado sugar. Bake 35-40 minutes, till toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to the pan and letting cool completely on a wire rack.