Modified: by Stefanie Fauquet · This post may contain affiliate links · 32 Comments
Is there anything more comforting than a warm slice of Banana Bread? The answer is no! This homemade banana bread recipe is easy to prepare & tastes amazing. It makes a great snack if you are having people over!
Moist Banana Bread
Is there anything more comforting than a thick, warm slice of banana bread? Just the thought of it brings back memories of my childhood. I have always been a fan of bananas, but it took many years before I tried my hand at baking banana bread.
Once I realized out how easy it was, I have found that I let my bananas get ripe on purpose, just to make this delicious moist banana bread recipe.
You probably have all of the ingredients already in your pantry (just add some ripe bananas!). Oh, and this bread freezes fantastically well. I like to make a double batch, so I will always have an extra loaf on hand!
Yes, banana bread can be frozen. Once cooled, wrap banana bread tightly with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or place in a freezer bag. To defrost, leave unwrapped on the counter for a few hours. Individual slices can also be frozen using the same method that was stated before. Store the remaining banana bread in an airtight container.
Can You Make Banana Bread into Muffins?
This simple banana bread recipe can be made into muffins by pouring the batter into a muffin tin, ¾ of the way full. Baking time will be significantly less and will vary-- Check on banana bread muffins at 15 minutes and test for doneness with a toothpick in the center until it comes out completely clean.
Does Banana Bread Need to be Refrigerated?
Banana bread can be left unrefrigerated on a counter for a few days if it is wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, foil, or stored in an airtight container. This will keep the banana bread moist and flavorful.
You can refrigerate banana bread for up to a week; any more than that will make the bread too dry. Consider freezing leftovers if it won't be consumed within a few days of baking.
What Goes with Banana Bread?
Banana bread is delicious on its own, warm, or at room temperature. You can also serve banana bread with butter, cream cheese frosting, or honey. It makes a great snack if you are having people over!
Place a paper towel at the bottom of an airtight container or in a zip-top bag. Place the cooled banana bread on top of it, then cover the loaf with another paper towel. Seal the container tightly and refrigerate for up to one week.
Moisture is key when it comes to banana bread, and the ratio of flour to banana makes all the difference. If you use too much flour, you'll end up with dry bread. If you don't use enough, your bread will be too wet. The secret is actually in how you measure the flour.
Here's the secret: overripe bananas don't necessarily mean too-ripe bananas for banana bread. It really comes down to personal preference. Those brown-speckled, mostly yellow bananas are still ripe and will bake into a great loaf.
Consistency: Bakeries often use machines to ensure consistent kneading and proofing times. This consistency is key to producing the same soft texture batch after batch. Special Ingredients: Many bakeries use dough conditioners or enhancers, which improve the texture and extend the bread's shelf life.
Some alternative ingredients can help give your bread added moisture. One such ingredient is milk, which has a high-fat content and can add a delightfully creamy flavor when baking. Additionally, adding mashed potatoes or cooked grains can help keep the crumb soft and tender for days after baking.
If you're planning to eat your banana bread within three to four days, it can be left out on a counter or table overnight at room temperature. (Although some recipes with add-ins, like cream cheese banana bread, shouldn't be left out.)
Using too much flour makes for an extra crumbly bread.
If you're tapping your measuring cup to level out flour as you measure, or you're pushing down the piled-up powder, you'll end up using too much of it. I packed my flour for this loaf, and what I got was a crumbly cake with a dry crust all around.
The experts at Allrecipes list excessive bananas as a common banana bread-making blunder, claiming it could make the bread feel a bit more hefty and moist in the middle. So instead of nice, airy, light bread, you might end up with mushy, dense bread that seems undercooked.
Place pan on wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove banana bread from pan to cool down completely. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap and store overnight at room temperature before serving.
With one sneaky shortcut, yellow bananas — yes, yellow! — can make great banana bread. Everyone knows you need ripe bananas to make banana bread — the browner, the better.
When it comes to baking, you want bananas covered all over in brown spots that smell very fragrant. These are signs that the banana is fully ripe, although you can wait longer until the bananas are completely brown or even black on the outside for the most flavor.
While a banana in the beginning of the ripening process might become sweeter and turn yellow, it will eventually overripen by producing too much of its own ethylene. High amounts of ethylene cause the yellow pigments in bananas to decay into those characteristic brown spots in a process called enzymatic browning.
Starch helps the dough by trapping the gas from the yeast in the dough and makes the bubbles stronger. This helps the bread to rise and be lighter and fluffier. If you are boiling potatoes, you can use the unsalted water in place of the water in your bread recipe to help out the yeast.
Wetting the dough causes the surface to steam. Covering it traps the moisture. This partnership stops the bread from drying out on the surface in the hot air of the oven and forming a premature crust. Your bread rises more and produces a richer colour, becoming glossy on the surface.
You can also put hot water in a heat-safe dish and place it on the floor of a cold oven (or on a lower shelf). The steam and heat from the water will help the temperature rise just enough that the yeast is active. The steam will also assist in keeping the surface of the dough moist so it will stretch as it rises.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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