THE Banana Bread

• 1 1/2 cups (190g) flour
• 1 tsp (5g) baking soda
• 1 cup (200g) sugar (I often use less, such as 3/4 cup/150g)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) oil
• 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) sour cream
• 1 cup (240ml) mashed very ripe bananas (ideally frozen and thawed) – that's about 4 bananas
• 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (55g) walnut pieces (optional – if you use them, dust them with a little bit of your flour mixture so they don't sink to the bottom)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. 2

   Grease and line a 9x5-inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper, with the sides of parchment overhanging from the pan so you can easily remove your bread later.

3. 3

   Measure flour by spooning it gently into your measuring cups, then level it off with a butter knife without compressing it, and add it to a small bowl.

4. 4

   Add baking soda to the flour and mix it in.

5. 5

   Whisk together the sugar, oil, and kosher salt well.

6. 6

   Add the sour cream, vanilla, and bananas and mix well.

7. 7

   Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Don't beat too hard after you add the eggs, as you don't want too much air incorporated.

8. 8

   Sift your flour mixture into your banana mixture and finish folding the flour well, yet gently, with a flexible rubber spatula. If you wish to add nuts, add them while incorporating your flour into the batter. You don't want to over-mix as it will be tough and not light and fluffy, but you don't want chunks of flour visible. Make sure it's evenly incorporated. Sift in the flour slowly, and fold until you see no more pockets of dry flour, even if it takes a few more turns. Use a flexible spatula to scrape the bottom and corners of the bowl—flour can hide there.

9. 9

   Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Run a butter knife under cold water and run it through the middle of your bread lengthwise, about 1 cm deep. This will cause the bread to break in the centre rather than all over, making it more visually appealing.

10. 10

    Bake for around 60 minutes, with a range of 55–62 minutes. Start checking after 55 minutes and remove from the oven when the bread passes the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs, but not wet).

11. 11

    Lift the bread out of the pan using the parchment paper and cool it completely on wire racks. Serve with softened butter, if you like, and enjoy.