Banana Bread

This is the banana bread recipe that I use for the camp. The above picture is of some banana bread sandwiches that I made with a little cream cheese in the middle.

The ingredients:
15oz (around 4ea) Bananas
12oz (1 3/4cups) Sugar
3ea Large Eggs
1tea Vanilla
1tea Banana Extract (optional)
1 3/4 sticks Unsalted Butter, melted
12oz (2 2/3cups) Bread Flour
9g (1 1/2tea) Salt
9g (1 1/2 tea) Baking Soda

You want your bananas to be nice and ripe. You know when the outside of a banana starts to go brown and gets spots on it? That is when the starches start turning to sugar. If you use those bananas, your banana bread will generally be sweeter and have a greater banana intensity.

As your bananas start to go bad, peel them and put them in the freezer to use later for banana bread. This is one of my favorite things to make during the summer, because I am able to use up all the bananas that the campers have passed on, and I have almost zero waste on bananas.

First, put your bananas in a mixing bowl. If they are frozen, let them thaw in the bowl before mixing them. The frozen ones will release liquid as they thaw. Do not throw out the liquid.

With the paddle attachment, mix on low for a half a minute or so, just to break them up a little.

Next, add the sugar and mix for another half minute to a minute. The sugar and bananas should cream together. You don't want to mix it to long, as that will work too much air into the batter.

Next, you want to add your eggs in one at a time while mixing on a low speed. Make sure the batter has incorporated the previous egg before adding the next. It should only take a minute to work all three eggs in. Add in your vanilla and banana extract after the eggs have mixed in.

Next, add your melted butter. I usually hand mix it in with a rubber spatula, just so it doesn't splash everywhere, but if you mix it on low, it shouldn't be a problem. Scrape the sides of the bowl and paddle.

Sift together your flour, salt and baking soda. Then add it to the batter and mix on low. You want to mix it just until it is incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl, the paddle and the bottom of the bowl. Mix it again for another 10-15 seconds.

Butter or PAM spray a couple of small loaf pans. Distribute the batter equally between them. Try and even out the tops with a rubber spatula.

You want to bake these in a 300 degree oven until they are done. It usually will take between 40minutes to an hour, depending on the pan size.

The banana bread has bananas, eggs and butter in it. All of those things tend to brown very quickly, and can make you think it is done, before it actually is. Make sure you check it with a wooden skewer or a knife before taking it out. If the skewer comes back "wet," then it needs to bake longer.