Description
Julia Child’s banana bread combines classic comfort with French culinary finesse, creating a delightful baked treat. Moist crumb and rich flavor invite bakers to savor each slice with pure enjoyment.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2–3 bananas (medium ripe, about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups mashed)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar (½ cup for less sweet, 1 cup for more sweet)
- ⅓ cup butter (unsalted or salted), melted
- 1 egg (large), beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Ignite the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lavishly coat an 8×4-inch loaf pan with butter, ensuring a seamless release.
- Banana Transformation: Pulverize ripe bananas into a silky puree, eliminating any substantial chunks. Integrate melted butter, creating a harmonious mixture that promises rich, moist texture.
- Flavor Fusion: Sprinkle baking soda and salt into the banana blend. Whisk the egg independently before marrying it with the mixture. Introduce granulated sugar and vanilla extract, stirring until a cohesive concoction emerges.
- Batter Alchemy: Delicately sift flour into the wet ingredients, employing a gentle folding technique to maintain an airy, tender crumb. Avoid overzealous mixing to prevent a dense, tough bread.
- Baking Ritual: Gracefully pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula to guarantee even distribution and an aesthetically pleasing top.
- Oven Transformation: Nestle the pan in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes. Evaluate doneness by inserting a toothpick—minimal dry crumbs indicate perfection. Should the exterior darken prematurely, drape with aluminum foil to protect from excessive browning.
- Cooling Finale: Liberate the bread from the oven and allow it to rest momentarily in the pan. Transfer to a wire rack, permitting complete cooling before wielding a sharp bread knife to slice with surgical precision.
Notes
- Ripeness Matters: Use extremely ripe, almost blackened bananas for maximum natural sweetness and deeper flavor profile.
- Avoid Overmixing: Gently fold flour into wet ingredients to prevent developing tough, dense bread texture and maintain soft, tender crumb.
- Foil Protection Technique: If bread browns too quickly during baking, loosely tent with aluminum foil to ensure even cooking and prevent burning.
- Cooling Critical: Allow bread to rest in pan briefly before transferring to wire rack, preventing potential structural collapse and ensuring clean slicing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg