You’ve Been Making Banana Bread Wrong This Whole Time

Banana bread is the epitome of comfort food.To be sure it comes out perfectly, there are
a few tips that novices and experts alikeneed to keep in mind.Here are the mistakes you might be making,
and how to avoid them the next time you attemptthe perfect loaf.”Jake Jake Jake!””What, is he coming?””No, but there’s more than muffins!There’s banana bread too!”First thing’s first, banana bread, of course,
requires bananas.After all, that’s what gives your loaf its
flavor and its lovely texture.But can you just grab any bananas from your
kitchen counter fruit bowl and get to baking?Or even just grab a few at the store for your
baking project?Absolutely not.Banana bread requires super ripe bananas.We’re talking ripe enough that they’re starting
to get brown spots on the peel.You want no green on the peel, but you also
don’t want your bananas ripe enough that they’rerotten.As a banana ripens, the starch in the fruit
turns to sugar.Ultimately, they become sweeter the riper
they are, which is why those with brown spotsare utilized to add great flavor to baked
goods.Part of making banana bread is all about incorporating
the sweet, ripe banana’s flavor throughout.In order to achieve that, it’s important to
introduce the bananas in a way that can beeasily incorporated, rather than having to
break them down in the mixer with the restof your ingredients.If you want to have banana bread with completely
smooth bananas throughout, and no chunks,mashing them in a separate bowl before introducing
them to the mixture is the best way to go.Using the back of a fork will do the trick
wonderfully, or you can opt to use a potatomasher.Baking truly is an art form, but there is
quite a bit of science to it as well, andif certain ingredients aren’t introduced in
the right order, they work differently withthe other ingredients.Much like baking a cake, baking banana bread
requires a specific order of operations.Adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients
allows for better introduction and incorporation.According to Cook’s Illustrated, that order
is actually crucial.If you were to instead add the wet ingredients
to the dry bowl, you end up with pockets offlour rather than a smooth distribution.Plus, it’s easier to fully mix things together
without over-mixing, which can definitelyhamper your banana bread’s texture.As simple as the ingredients are for banana
bread, and as achievable as the method seems,banana bread can be a bit finicky.Whether you opt to make your banana bread
in a stand mixer, or you’re simply using abowl and a spoon, the key to a beautiful,
fluffy, moist loaf is not to overmix the batter.According to Southern Living, the reasoning
for not over-mixing is all about the gluten.As you mix, the gluten begins to develop.When too much gluten develops before baking,
you can end up with a dense, chewy loaf, ratherthan the soft and delicious banana bread you
were hoping for.When it’s time to add the dry ingredients
to the wet, gently fold them in“You fold them in.”“I, I understand that.How… how do you fold it?Fold it in half like a piece of paper and
drop it in?What do you do?”— maybe even using a spoon and not a mixer
— just until everything is fully incorporated.Whether you’re using a metal or a glass loaf
pan, greasing your pan with oil or butterwill help your banana bread come out smoothly.Either using canned oil spray or simply rubbing
butter or shortening along the insides ofthe pan will create a layer of oil that makes
for easy release.Sprinkling the pan with flour after buttering
will really make sure nothing sticks whilebaking.Opting for parchment paper is another possibility
as well.According to Bon Appetit, that’s the way to
go, allowing for a smooth release by justlifting up the paper.Whichever way you choose is up to you, but
definitely be sure to choose one.Digging your banana bread out of the loaf
pan with a fork really isn’t the best wayto eat it.Most banana bread recipes call for it to be
baked at 350 degrees for 50 to 70 minutes.And while that may seem like a huge range,
there’s a reason for it.According to The Kitchn, your bake time will
depend on your bananas’ sugar content andhow moist they are.Often, if you make banana bread and cut into
it only to find a gooey, underbaked center,that’s the reason.It’s thanks to those bananas not having enough
time.It’s best to begin checking your banana bread
sooner rather than later, but don’t pull itout of the oven until you’ve checked that
it’s fully baked.The top and sides will be a caramel, dark
brown, with a yellow bread color in the center,but check it using the classic toothpick method
to be sure it’s done.If it’s clean, or there are only a few crumbs,
it’s ready to pull out.You’ve selected the perfect ripe bananas,
mixed your batter, and baked your bread.It’s time to eat it once you pull it out of
the oven, right?After all, what’s better than warm, freshly
baked banana bread?”I made her banana bread.”“’Why?””Because I love her.”Well, not so fast.As with many of the steps of baking banana
bread, there’s a science to it.Because you pair sugar with banana in your
batter, the bananas tend to caramelize whilebaking.This also creates a bit of a gooeyness to
the bread if you were to slice it right whenit came out of the oven.It’s best to let your loaf sit in the pan
to finish baking for a few minutes on topof the oven, solidifying the banana mash.According to Livestrong, letting your bread
sit for 15 minutes before removing it fromthe pan is best.From there, you can invert your loaf pan onto
a plate or tray, use a spatula to get theloaf out if needed, and then let it rest a
bit longer.It’s best to eat banana bread when it’s completely
cooled, so you get a nice, clean slice.Check out one of our newest videos right here!Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite
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