In the August, 2010 issue of Cook’s Illustrated there was an article mentioned on the cover that caught my eye…Extreme Banana Bread along with a descriptive reading Six Bananas in One Loaf. I quickly skimmed the article, and knew I had to buy the magazine and try it.
The author was totally in synch with my thoughts on banana bread. Here’s an excerpt…
…When bananas get covered with brownish-black spots, the frugal alternative to throwing them in the trash has always been to mash them up, add them to a quick bread batter, and bake. I’m all for thrift in the kitchen, but I’ve yet to come across a recipe that actually makes me glad I saved those overripe specimens. Depending on the fat-to-flour ratio-and just how spotty those bananas really were-the crumb varies from cottony and tough to dense and damp, with a typically overbaked ring crusting over the exterior. Even more discouraging, all that ripe banana flavor somehow seems to vaporize during baking, leaving me with a ho-hum loaf that just begs for the added oomph of chocolate chips, coconut, rum, or gobs of cream cheese slathered on top. Without upsetting the humble charms of this bread, what would it take to create a moist, tender loaf that really tasted like bananas?
I will try to summarize the key points which answer the above question.
1. Only use very ripe heavily speckled fruit. Lab tests discovered that heavily speckled bananas had nearly 3 times the amount of sweetness as the less spotty ones.
2. Increase the number of bananas typically used in banana bread. This recipe calls for five large (six if you’re using one to garnish the top).
3. Extract the juice (who knew bananas had juice?) by either microwaving ripe bananas, or even simpler, just thawing the very ripe ones you have stored in the freezer, which naturally exude a lot of liquid when thawed. By straining the liquid from the bananas, and then reducing it in a saucepan on the stove you end up with a concentrated liquor that intensifies the flavor of the loaf without making it wet.
4. Replace the granulated sugar called for in most recipes with light brown sugar. The molasses notes of the brown sugar better complements the banana flavor.
5. The addition of vanilla extract, and replacing the oil usually called for with the nutty richness of butter rounds out the banana’s faintly rumlike flavor.
6. Adding toasted walnuts to the batter provides a crunchy contrast to the rich, moist crumb.
I made this recipe some time ago and found it to be the perfect banana bread, fulfilling all its promises. When I made it for this post I tripled the recipe so I could have 2 loaves to give to neighbors. Both times I’ve made it I have used thawed ripe bananas from my freezer. I haven’t added the banana slices on top as she suggests simple because I think I prefer the crunchy top, but it does look pretty, so one of these days I’ll try it.
The caption below the recipe from Cook’s Illustrated says… Any 10-year-old can make the typical dry, bland banana bread. But if you want to make a moist, tender loaf with over-the-top banana flavor, you need to think like a mad scientist.
All I can say is thank you, Cook’s Illustrated, for doing the research!
Ultimate Banana Bread (Andrea Geary, Cook’s illustrated, August, 2010)
Note: Be sure to use very ripe, heavily speckled (or even black) bananas in this recipe. This recipe can be made using 5 thawed frozen bananas; since they release a lot of liquid naturally, they can bypass the microwaving step 2 and go directly into the fine-mesh strainer. Do not use a thawed frozen banana in step 4; it will be too soft to slice. Instead, simply sprinkle the top of the loaf with sugar. The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8 and ½ by 4 and ½ inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking doneness five minutes earlier than advised in the recipe. the texture is best when the loaf is eaten fresh, but it can be stored (cool completely first), covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
1 and ¾ cups (8 and ¾ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour (I used half AP flour and half white whole wheat flour-results were excellent!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
6 large very ripe bananas (about 2 and ¼ pounds), peeled (see note)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
¾ cup packed (5 and ¼ ounces) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8and ½ by 4 and ½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.
2 Place 5 bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes(you should have ½ to ¾ liquid).
3. Transfer liquid to medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes.
Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla.
4. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Slice remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices. Shingle banana slices on top of either side of loaf, leaving 1 and ½-inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.
5. Bake until toothpick inserted inc enter of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes.
Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
