THE Banana Bread

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, with sides of parchment overhanging from the pan so you can easily remove your bread later.
• Measure flour by spooning it gently into your cups, measure, level off with a butter knife without compressing it, and add to a small bowl.
• Add baking soda to the flour and mix it in.
• Whisk sugar, oil, and kosher salt well.
• Add sour cream, vanilla, and bananas and mix well.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Don’t beat too hard after you add the eggs, as you don’t want too much air incorporated.
• Sift your flour mixture into your banana mixture and finish folding the flour well, yet gently, with a flexible rubber spatula. If you wish to add nuts, add them while incorporating your flour into the batter. You don’t want to over-mix as it will be tough and not light and fluffy, but you don’t want chunks of flour.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Run a butter knife under cold water and run it in the middle of your bread lengthwise, about 1 cm deep. It will cause the bread to break in the center rather than all over, making it more visually appealing.
• Bake for around 60 minutes. 55-62 minutes should be the range. Start checking after 55 minutes and remove from the oven when the bread passes the toothpick test (toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, but not better.)
• Lift the bread out of the pan with the parchment paper. And cool completely on wire racks. Serve with softened butter, if you like, and enjoy.