Bake the Number-One Banana Bread Recipe on the Internet (2024)

FAQs

What is the best pan to bake banana bread in? ›

The CORRECT Pan to use for Banana Bread

The pan I recommend: A light-colored METAL 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Anything too dark in color will risk scorching the edges. Glass and ceramic loaf pans: Take MUCH longer to bake – upwards of 15 to 20 minutes.

Ripe bananas are not only softer and easier to mash and blend into a batter, but they are also sweeter, which is why baking recipes specifically call for ripe bananas in ingredient lists. As the bananas ripen, the fruit converts starches to sugars, making them sweeter and more flavorful.

First, why the crack occurs: Since quick breads and pound cake batters tend to be thick and dense, the exterior bakes first. But as the center of the cake continues to bake, releasing moisture, it rises, pushing through the top crust, and creating a crack.

For a picture-worthy loaf of banana bread, don't go overboard with greasing your loaf pan. Grease the bottom of the pan just ½ inch up the sides for a uniform loaf with a slightly rounded top. If you grease all the way up the sides of the pan, the loaf can sink, resulting in a flat top.

In fact, using glass or even ceramic baking pans for certain recipes, such as brownies or banana bread, may create adverse results! This is because they take LONGER to conduct heat. Often times the edges become overcooked before the heat has transferred enough to cook through the center.

Metal pans are better heat conductors than glass pans, meaning the food inside cooks more evenly. Most baking recipes for cakes, muffins, cupcakes, coffee cake, banana bread, and brownies call for metal bakeware.

In my experience, using bananas with a dark brown or even black peel for banana bread is ideal, as long as the inside isn't rotten. Key takeaway: As long as your bananas aren't starting to get moldy, infested with fruit flies or beginning to rot they aren't too ripe for baking banana bread.

As it sits at room temperature, starches convert to sugars, making the fruit sweeter and softer. These brown spots, often seen as a sign of spoilage, are actually a dead giveaway of peak banana bread potential. But, there is a limit. Black bananas or rotten bananas are a no-go.

There are a variety of reasons why yours may be sinking on cooling but it is most likely that it isn't quite fully baked. Banana bread tends to form a firmish crust on the outside, so even if it looks baked it may not quite be done which means that it will sink as it cools.

Preheat your oven to the temperature you originally used to bake the banana bread. Use a knife to test the bread in the center. If it's too wet or raw, return it to the oven. Place the bread back in the oven on a baking sheet or rack and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Why is my banana bread always dry? ›

Moisture is key when it comes to banana bread, and the ratio of flour to banana makes all the difference. If you use too much flour, you'll end up with dry bread. If you don't use enough, your bread will be too wet. The secret is actually in how you measure the flour.

If you try to remove your banana bread from the loaf pan straight out of the oven, you're likely to break it. But if you leave it in the pan for too long, it will grow soggy and hard to remove in one solid loaf.

Stainless steel: Stainless steel is always a solid choice for bakeware and cookware, as it's tough and conducts heat well. For baking, it's best to have a dull rather shiny pan, as it'll result in a browned crust. Aluminum: In terms of bakeware, aluminum is one of the best choices.

Use a Sheet Pan

Rolls, boules (that's a round loaf of bread), braided loaves and many soda breads are baked right on a sheet pan—no loaf pan required. If you want to bake bread on a cookie sheet, look for breads that retain their shape (you don't want overly soft doughs here).

Middle. The default position. It's ideal for most foods since it situates the item in the middle of the oven, allowing the hot air to circulate evenly around the food, resulting in even cooking. Use this for a single tray of cookies, sheet-pan dinners, fish, brownies, banana bread, and so on.

Use a nonstick baking pan. If surface is dark in color, reduce oven temperature by 25°F, or, Line the baking pan with parchment paper or waxed paper. When using waxed paper, spray with no-stick cooking spray or lightly grease the pan, then place the waxed paper in the pan.