banana bread advice

i really love banana bread but whenever i bake it myself, it just doesn't taste the same as the ones sold at bakeries such as sweet mysteries, or even quick breads sold at starbucks. i used the following ingredients:

* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 cup white sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* 2 medium bananas, sliced
preheated over 350 degrees and baked for approximately 35-40 min.

the result came out to be a very light cake-like texture, unlike the dense and rich quick bread texture i prefer. am i doing something wrong? can someone suggest a better recipe?

I use the Silver Palate cookbook recipe, often enough that the book falls open to it, and the main differences I see are another 1/2 stick butter instead of the sour cream, another 1/2 cup flour (actually it's half and half whole wheat and white), and 3 bananas instead of 2 (though I've made it with two, and seen little difference). And I cut the sugar down from 3/4C to about 1/2C.

The things that would be responsible for rising would be either the eggs or the baking soda, and those quantities are the same, so my guess is either that that extra 1/2C of flour makes a big difference in the final result, or maybe you're whipping the eggs a little in the process or something?

By the way, I was reading an old Time magazine (I mean like last fall, not 1953) and there was an interview with the CEO of Wal-Mart. You know what the single biggest-selling item at Wal-Mart is? No, not 2XL sweat pants. Bananas. I guess everyone needs bananas....

Hi,

In your first sentence you made reference to taste. I've always used overripe bananas for making banana bread. Bananas are at peak ripeness when they have brown spots on them. Although once they peak, they soon become overripe. Using a picture perfect yellow skinned banana is not as full flavored, though fine for out of hand eating. I also grate some rind of orange, though lemon will do as well. Although I prefer nuts in my banana bread, I will also use chocolate chips.

The recipe I use is from the Joy of Cooking. I used to make banana bread on a very regular basis. It's been a long time since I've made any because bananas are always eaten before they are good enough for baking.

Regards,

Cathy's right. I made *a lot* of banana bread -- essentially anytime I've got old bananas. When I've set out to make the bread out of choice rather than necessity, invariably the results are worse. Why? Because it's difficult to wait long enough for the bananas to ripen. If you can slice the bananas, they're the wrong bananas. They should be rather mottled and caramelly -- on the inside. The outsides should be essentially blackened. You can speed up the process by leaving them in a closed bag at room temp.

I like Cook's Illustrated's recipe:

2 C flour
1 1/4 chopped toasted walnuts
3/4 C sugar
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 very ripe mashed bananas
1/4 C plain yogurt
2 large eggs lightly beaten
6 T unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 t vanilla extract

Basically you sift together the dry ingredients and mix together the wet ingredients separately. Then fold in the dry ingredients. (Stirring too much builds gluten and makes it chewy.) Bake in a greased 9x5 loaf pan at 350 until a toothpick comes out clean, about 55 minutes. I like it to be a little underdone, myself. Also, I think vanilla or strawberry-banana yogurt can be nice, too. Also, a little honey added to the wet ingredients can be nice.

It's a relatively dense banana bread, but not as brickish as some. Warm with butter is divine.

i think i stirring the batter too much was my mistake.

thanks for the recipe from cook's illustrated, i'll try it soon and tell you how it turns out!

oh, and does anyone recommend where you can buy good banana bread when you're just not in the mood to bake? i found a wonderful version at prairie bakery in oak park. it's so moist that i could eat the whole loaf!

Note that in extramsg's recipe it says "mashed bananas" rather than sliced as your recipe does. That may have a lot to do with why your not getting the dense, moist texture and more banana flavor you want.
In fact, if your able to cleanly slice your bananas it probably means they are underripe as others have suggested.
Also, you may be able to cut down on the sugar, if your bananas are riper and sweeter.

My wife uses slightly mushy bananas and mashes them, but leaving many chunks. This will disperse the banana flavor throughout the bread, but still produce scattered joyful morsels of banana.

Sliced-- I didn't even notice that. Yeah, I'd say unless you mostly have a banana puree mixed into the batter (with, as noted, some chunks to your taste, using a hand masher will let you control that precisely), you're going to get cake, not banana bread.

As a long-time banana bread aficionado, I HIGHLY recommend this recipe by Tyler Florence. Good to see that the Food Network is still good for something. Follow the recipe as written, including the hair-raising amount of butter and the combo of banana textures, BUT be prepared to bake it for a while longer that Ol' Pretty Boy suggests. Start testing with a skewer at about 45 minutes, and proceed with caution. You may have to tent with foil if it's getting too dark.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_22819,00.html

Hi,

I find recipes on FoodTV are not permanently accessible. Having been burned a couple of times, if I like the recipe then I keep a copy on my harddrive. I don't know if the issue is contractual or volume, recipes lost can be found later on; which is not terribly reliable when you need it now.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:I find recipes on FoodTV are not permanently accessible. Having been burned a couple of times, if I like the recipe then I keep a copy on my harddrive. I don't know if the issue is contractual or volume, recipes lost can be found later on; which is not terribly reliable when you need it now.

I have found the same thing and have been burned as well. It is my understanding that the issue is contractual. Food Network does not have an unlimited license to reprint the recipes for every one of their chefs/cooks/hosts. Print 'em or copy 'em, because their website content is often fleeting.

Best,
Michael / EC

Every once in a while, I will be looking for something entirely different on LAZ's excellent index of recipes, and something will catch my eye - as is the case today.

I also use the Cook's Illustrated recipe, sometimes substituting 1/4 of the flour for oatmeal just for extra texture. I found out the hard way that it doesn't really make good muffins. However, it reminded me of a recipe I've always wanted to try: The Davis's Army Banana Bread. Good Morning America had them on in 2002 with the secret recipe, but I've never tried it...

A good all-purpose substitute for the nuts in banana bread is Grape-Nuts. I started using them when I ran across a reduced-fat struesel recipe in the Joy of Cooking that called for them and now they've become a kitchen staple. Nice when you're taking baked goods to a party where some guests can't eat nuts.

I'd add my second or third or fourth to over-beating as the culprit. The rule I remember from my seventh grade home ec class is that you should mix muffins and quick breads just enough to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients. It should still be lumpy when you put it in the pans to bake.

Just started a banana bread kick. First loaf.