The smell of freshly baked banana bread in your kitchen can send joy throughout your entire household and can get everyone running towards the kitchen. There's something about its smell and the thought of tasting a freshly baked, moist slice that is so heavenly. When it comes to baking banana bread, it's not all about your overripe bananas and how you mix them with eggs, butter, and milk that sets it apart. Seasoned hands know when it's time to stop mixing, how to heat the oven, and when the banana bread is ready. Of course, even seasoned bakers can make mistakes. To sharpen your banana bread-making skills, here are common mistakes you should avoid.
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00:00Banana bread is the epitome of comfort food.
00:03To be sure it comes out perfectly, there are a few tips that novices and experts alike
00:08need to keep in mind.
00:10Here are the mistakes you might be making, and how to avoid them the next time you attempt
00:14the perfect loaf.
00:15What?
00:16Is he coming?
00:17No, but there's more than muffins.
00:18There's banana bread, too!
00:19What?
00:20First things first, banana bread, of course, requires bananas.
00:26After all, that's what gives your loaf its flavor and its lovely texture.
00:30But can you just grab any bananas from your kitchen counter fruit bowl and get to baking?
00:35Or even just grab a few at the store for your baking project?
00:38Absolutely not.
00:40Banana bread requires super ripe bananas.
00:43We're talking ripe enough that they're starting to get brown spots on the peel.
00:47You want no green on the peel, but you also don't want your bananas ripe enough that they're
00:51rotten.
00:52As a banana ripens, the starch in the fruit turns to sugar.
00:56Ultimately, they become sweeter the riper they are, which is why those brown spots
01:00are utilized to add great flavor to baked goods.
01:04Part of making banana bread is all about incorporating the sweet, ripe bananas' flavor throughout.
01:10In order to achieve that, it's important to introduce the bananas in a way that can be
01:14easily incorporated, rather than having to break them down in the mixer with the rest
01:18of your ingredients.
01:20If you want to have banana bread with completely smooth bananas throughout and no chunks, mashing
01:25them in a separate bowl before introducing them to the mixture is the best way to go.
01:30Using the back of a fork will do the trick wonderfully, or you can opt to use a potato
01:34masher.
01:36Baking truly is an art form, but there is quite a bit of science to it as well, and
01:41if certain ingredients aren't introduced in the right order, they work differently with
01:45the other ingredients.
01:47Much like baking a cake, baking banana bread requires a specific order of operations.
01:52Adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients allows for better introduction and incorporation.
01:59According to Cook's Illustrated, that order is actually crucial.
02:02If you were to instead add the wet ingredients to the dry bowl, you end up with pockets of
02:07flour rather than a smooth distribution.
02:09Plus, it's easier to fully mix things together without overmixing, which can definitely hamper
02:15your banana bread's texture.
02:17As simple as the ingredients are for banana bread and as achievable as the method seems,
02:23banana bread can be a bit finicky.
02:25Whether you opt to make your banana bread in a stand mixer or you're simply using a
02:29bowl and a spoon, the key to a beautiful, fluffy, moist loaf is to not overmix the batter.
02:35According to Southern Living, the reason for not overmixing is all about the gluten.
02:40As you mix, the gluten begins to develop.
02:43When too much gluten develops before baking, you can end up with a dense, chewy loaf rather
02:48than the soft and delicious banana bread you were hoping for.
02:51When it's time to add the dry ingredients to the wet, gently fold them in.
02:55He folds it in.
02:58I understand that, but how do you fold it?
03:00Do you fold it in half like a piece of paper and drop it in the pot, or what do you do?
03:04Maybe even using a spoon and not a mixer, just until everything is fully incorporated.
03:10Whether you're using a metal or a glass loaf pan, greasing your pan with oil or butter
03:15will help your banana bread come out smoothly.
03:18Either using canned oil spray or simply rubbing butter or shortening along the insides of
03:22the pan will create a layer of oil that makes for easy release.
03:26Sprinkling the pan with flour after buttering will really make sure nothing sticks while
03:31baking.
03:32Opting for parchment paper is another possibility as well.
03:36According to Bon Appetit, that's the way to go, allowing for a smooth release by just
03:40lifting up the paper.
03:41Whichever way you choose is up to you, but definitely be sure to choose one.
03:46Digging your banana bread out of the loaf pan with a fork really isn't the best way
03:50to eat it.
03:52Most banana bread recipes call for it to be baked at 350 degrees for 50 to 70 minutes.
03:58And while that may seem like a huge range, there's a reason for it.
04:02According to The Kitchen, your bake time will depend on your banana's sugar content and
04:06how moist they are.
04:08Often, if you make banana bread and cut into it only to find a gooey, underbaked center,
04:14that's the reason.
04:15It's thanks to those bananas not having enough time.
04:18It's best to begin checking your banana bread sooner rather than later, but don't pull it
04:22out of the oven until you've checked that it's fully baked.
04:25The top and sides will be a caramel, dark brown with a yellow bread color in the center.
04:30But check it using the classic toothpick method to be sure it's done.
04:34If it's clean, or if there are only a few crumbs, it's ready to pull out.
04:39You've selected the perfect ripe bananas, mixed your batter, and baked your bread.
04:44It's time to eat it once you pull it out of the oven, right?
04:47After all, what's better than warm, freshly baked banana bread?
04:50I've made her banana bread.
04:53Why?
04:54Because I love her.
04:55Well, not so fast.
04:57As with many of the steps of baking banana bread, there's a science to it.
05:01Once you pair sugar with banana in your batter, the bananas tend to caramelize while baking.
05:07This also creates a bit of gooeyness to the bread if you were to slice it right when it
05:11came out of the oven.
05:12It's best to let your loaf sit in the pan to finish baking for a few minutes on top
05:16of the oven, solidifying the banana mash.
05:20According to Livestrong, letting your bread sit for 15 minutes before removing it from
05:24the pan is best.
05:26From there, you can invert your loaf pan onto a plate or tray.
05:30Use a spatula to get the loaf out if needed, and then let it rest a bit longer.
05:35It's best to eat banana bread when it's completely cooled so you get a nice, clean slice.