Classic Banana Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/3 cups mashed very ripe bananas

Instructions

Follow each step in order. The directions below are written so a beginner can understand what to do, what to look for, and when to move on to the next step.

1. Step 1.Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan lightly with butter or neutral oil, then line the long sides with a strip of parchment if you want easy removal after baking.
2. Step 2.Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Breaking up small lumps now helps the dry ingredients distribute evenly later without needing to overmix the batter.
3. Step 3.Place the softened butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or sturdy spoon until the mixture looks creamy and slightly lighter in texture. Room-temperature butter blends more easily than cold butter.
4. Step 4.Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until incorporated. If the mixture looks slightly uneven, do not worry; the mashed bananas will bring it together.
5. Step 5.Mash the very ripe bananas in a separate bowl until mostly smooth, leaving a few small pieces for texture. Dark-spotted bananas give the loaf stronger flavor and natural sweetness than firm yellow bananas.
6. Step 6.Stir the mashed bananas into the butter, sugar, and egg mixture until evenly combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl once so no banana remains stuck around the edges.
7. Step 7.Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold gently with a spatula until no large streaks of flour remain. Stop mixing as soon as the batter is combined because excessive mixing can make banana bread dense and chewy.
8. Step 8.Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan very lightly on the counter once or twice to remove a large trapped air pocket, but do not repeatedly bang the pan.
9. Step 9.Bake for about 60–65 minutes, checking around the 55-minute mark. The loaf is ready when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs and the top is deeply golden.
10. Step 10.Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment and transfer it to a wire rack. Cool before slicing so the crumb can finish setting. Serve plain, toasted, or with a little butter, and store leftovers tightly covered.