Banana Bread

1Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 175°C, grease a 23×13 cm loaf tin and line it with baking paper.
2. Mash the bananas with a fork in a large bowl until nearly smooth.
3. Stir the melted butter into the bananas.
4. Add the brown sugar, egg and vanilla and mix well.
5. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and stir, then add the flour and fold until it just disappears.
6. Fold in the walnuts gently.

2Cooking

1. Pour the batter into the tin and level it.

   ⏱ 2 min timer
2. Bake on the middle shelf until the top is golden and a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

   ♨️ oven 175°C⏱ 55 min timer
3. Cover the top loosely with foil near the end if it browns before the middle is done.

   ♨️ oven 175°C⏱ 5 min timer
4. Rest in the tin for 15 minutes, then move to a rack to cool before slicing.

   ⏱ 15 min timer

3Serving

1. Slice thickly and serve warm, with or without butter.
2. Keep wrapped in a cool place for up to 3 days.

💡 Tips & common mistakes

• Common mistake: over-mixing once the flour goes in, which makes the loaf tough. Fold only until the flour disappears.
• The blacker the bananas, the sweeter and more fragrant the loaf; do not use green ones.
• Do not slice it hot; it needs time to set.

🔁 Substitutions

• Walnuts: dark chocolate chips, or leave them out.
• Brown sugar: white sugar with a spoon of molasses or date syrup.