I have published my recipe for Pure Banana Bread, which is free of dairy products. Long ago I used to use a recipe that contained sour cream, and it was just delicious and all that, but I developed this dairy allergy and needed another recipe.
But last week I received the March issue of Bon Appetit magazine, and there was an entire article in it devoted to Banana Bread. It has the lovely title, "A Slice of Paradise," and that refers to Banana Bread. Their recipe makes more than the single loaf that I usually get from my recipe, but that's all right.
One thing you can do with Banana Bread batter is to bake it in a tube pan like a pound cake. The heavy banana texture lends itself to this treatment, so once you have your batter mixed up you can assess what kind of baking pan you will use. I don't recommend a rectangular baking pan like what you would use for a cake, but it's possible. However, there are cake recipes using bananas.
Fortunately for organic shoppers, bananas are usually clearly labeled for the brand and whether or not they are organic, on each individual fruit. I have seen organically-sourced brands at Walmart and Safeway, along with Tucson's usual health-oriented markets.
Banana Bread doesn't call for any hard-to-find ingredients, but don't make it until you have some bananas that have gone past their prime. The softer the banana is--not spoiled, mind you--the more flavorful the bread will be. Pristine pure-yellow new bananas will produce bread that is much milder in flavor.
For a deeper flavor, you can also substitute light-brown sugar for white sugar in this recipe.
JULIA'S BEST BANANA BREAD
Ingredients:
Nonstick organic vegetable oil spray
1-3/4 cups organic all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large organic eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar or light-brown sugar
1 cup mashed ripe organic bananas, about 2 large
3/4 cup vegetable oil such as walnut, if you are adding walnuts
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat the baking pan that you will be using with the nonstick vegetable spray.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
Beat the eggs and sugar together until they are thoroughly mixed. Beat in the bananas until the mixture is well combined and then add the oil. If you are adding a cup of walnut pieces, add them last.
Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 50 minutes before you check for doneness. The center of the loaf may still be soft but you don't want to burn the bread. The total baking time should be about 60-70 minutes.
Banana Bread is easy to make, but you will find that if you bring it to an office luncheon it will be very much appreciated. When I worked at some call centers in Tucson I used to bring baked things, which people love especially if they are well-loved comfort foods.
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