Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (approx. 350g)
  • 1 ¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour (210g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (0.5g)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (3g)
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (3g)
  • ½ cup melted unsalted butter, slightly cooled (113g)
  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar (150g)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional, 60g)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a standard 9x5 inch loaf tin with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal later.
  2. Peel and thoroughly mash the ripe bananas in a medium bowl until mostly smooth, leaving a few small lumps for texture.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until homogenous. Create a small well in the centre.
  4. To the mashed bananas, add the melted (and slightly cooled) butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until just combined.
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold gently until just combined. Stop mixing the moment you see no more streaks of dry flour; overmixing leads to tough bread.
  6. Gently fold in any optional nuts or chocolate chips now.
  7. Pour batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes.
  8. Test for doneness by inserting a thin skewer into the centre; it should come out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached. If the top browns too quickly before the centre is done, loosely tent the tin with foil for the final 15 minutes of baking.
  9. Let the loaf cool in the tin for 10 minutes before using the parchment sling to lift it onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.