The Best Banana Bread

2016-04-29

Cook's Illustrated, March-April 1998

Makes one 9-inch loaf.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups toasted walnuts, chopped coarse (about 1 cup)

• 3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled lage bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of regular loaf pan, or grease and flour bottom and sides of nonstick 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, and set aside. Combine first five ingredients together in large bowl, and set aside.

2. Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with wooden spoon in medium bowl. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

• Use pecans instead of or in addition to walnuts
• Substitute up to 1/3 brown sugar by volume
• Substitute up to 1/4 wheat flour by volume