Banana Bread

I love banana bread. I think the whole-milk yogurt, toasted walnuts, and brown sugar set this banana bread recipe above all other versions out there. This IS my go-to recipe. Judging by how fast this bread disappears, I’d say others would agree (if you could understand them with their mouths full!).

And for gawd’s sake, don’t violate this perfect banana bread with chocolate chips, coconut, or orange peels. I heard that even the Bible forbids these ingredients in banana bread and that you can go to hell for these infractions. Bananas, brown sugar, and walnuts: nothing more, nothing less. Amen. Brother Ben.

Calorie Content: What’s a calorie?

Ingredients:

Musical ingredient: Ryan Walsh, classical guitarist. Resonancias Antiguas 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ cups chopped walnuts (toasted)

½ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ½ cups)

¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt

2 large eggs, beaten

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1.     Toast walnuts by spreading on a baking sheet and putting in oven at 350 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes or until fragrant.

2.     Grease bottom and sides of a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Dust with flour.

3.     Mix the dry ingredients: walnuts, sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

4.     Mix the wet ingredients: yogurt, eggs, mashed bananas, butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

5.     Fold the wet ingredient mixture into the dry until combined and the batter looks thick and clumpy. Scrape into the loaf pan.

6.     Bake at 350 F until loaf is golden brown, about 55 minutes. Inserting a toothpick or cake tester into the bread should come out clean when done. See note below.

7.     Cool for five minutes, then remove from pan and place on a wire rack.

Note:

Don’t confuse banana residue on the cake tester with uncooked dough. The cake tester or a toothpick should come out clean (no dough) when baking is complete. However, bananas still stay somewhat moist and sticky even when cooked. If in doubt, carefully taste the residue. If it tastes like a banana, looks like banana, and walks like a banana, it is most likely banana.

This bread really shouldn’t take more than 55 minutes at 350 F. More than that, then the bottom and sides will start to burn.