Banana Bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into chunks

1 cup light brown sugar packed

2 cups banana slightly heaped cups, mashed

4 bananas extra-large or 5 medium-large

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sea or table salt fine

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon heaped

fresh nutmeg optional, a few gratings

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons raw or turbinado sugar

Equipment

loaf pan

sheet pan

large bowl

whisk

toothpick or skewer

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup (9×5-inch) loaf pan or coat it with a nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Melt butter in a large bowl and whisk in brown sugar until smooth, then stir in mashed banana. Whisk in eggs and vanilla.

Sprinkle the surface of the batter evenly with salt, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), baking soda, and baking powder, and whisk until the ingredients are fully dispersed in the batter, and then whisk 10 more times around the bowl because it’s better to be overly cautious than to end up with unmixed pockets.

Add flour and stir until combined. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan. It should come to just over 1/2-inch from the top rim. Sprinkle the top of the batter with the raw sugar.

Bake banana bread for 55 to 65 minutes. It is done when a toothpick or skewer inserted into the bread is batter-free. The bread will get very dark but will not taste burnt.

Let cool in pan.

Leave the banana bread in the pan, uncovered. Once cut, press a piece of foil against the cut side of the remaining loaf but leave the top uncovered.