Banana Walnut Bread

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F with a rack in the middle. Grease a 23x13cm (9x5 inch) loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment hanging over the long sides — those overhangs are handles for lifting the loaf out later.

2. 2

   Toast the walnuts on a dry sheet pan for 7–8 minutes while the oven heats, until they smell nutty. Toasted nuts taste twice as good in the finished bread. Let them cool.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until nearly smooth — a few small lumps are fine and give the bread texture.

4. 4

   Stir the melted butter into the bananas.

5. 5

   Add the brown sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla, and stir until evenly combined.

6. 6

   Sprinkle the baking soda and salt evenly over the surface (rather than dumping them in one spot) and stir them through.

7. 7

   Add the flour and fold it in gently with a spatula, stopping the moment you no longer see dry flour — 10 to 15 strokes. Overmixing develops gluten and turns quick bread rubbery and tunneled. A slightly lumpy batter is a good batter.

8. 8

   Fold in the toasted walnuts with the last couple of strokes.

9. 9

   Scrape the batter into the pan, level the top, and lay the split banana cut-side up along the surface if using.

10. 10

    Bake 55–65 minutes. If the top is browning too fast around the 40-minute mark, lay a piece of foil loosely over it. It's done when a skewer pushed into the CENTER comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs — wet batter means keep going, checking every 5 minutes.

11. 11

    Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment handles onto a wire rack.

12. 12

    Let it cool at least mostly before slicing — warm banana bread is delicious but gummy, and it slices cleanly once cool. Wrapped tight, it's even better on day two and keeps 4 days at room temperature.