How to Make Banana Bread--Christine

Banana bread is one of the easiest and tastiest desserts to make at home! The ingredients can be found in any household or local grocery store, and the instructions are not difficult to follow. It is so simple that I have been making banana bread with my aunt and mom since I was young. My aunt made it for every family occasion, whether for a large party or just when I come over to visit. To me, banana bread meant spending time with my family. I loved it so much that she shared the recipe with my mom, and we would bake together all the time. Baking brought me closer to my mom than anything else. The best part would be after the bread is done baking with the sweet aroma of banana filling the house, and we sat together with warm slices in hand to enjoy each other’s company. Since then, I have modified the recipe to create a lighter and fluffier texture that more resembles a cake, and my family said that it was better than when my mom made it (She playfully threatened to never cook for them again!). With that in mind, please follow all directions and tips carefully. If you try this at home, bake it with your family, friends, or significant other. You’re bound to make sweet memories!

(The below pictures show my banana bread that I baked last weekend. If this doesn’t convince you, ask Mrs. Solano about how tasty it is!) 

Preparation and Ingredients
You will need a large mixing bowl, another large bowl, a microwave-safe bowl, a hand mixer, a 9 by 13 inch cake pan, and parchment paper. A hand mixer is recommended because it will create smoother texture for the batter and is easier to handle than a standing mixer. Measuring cups and spoons are also required, but make sure to use the correct ones for dry (left) and wet, or liquid, ingredients (right). Each type of measuring cup is designed to accurately measure

their ingredients. The measuring spoons can be used for both dry and wet ingredients. The last point about measuring is that dry ingredients are meant to be levelled with a butter knife and never packed into the cup. 

The ingredients are as follows:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
  

• 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 11⁄2cupswhitesugar
  
• 1⁄2 cup melted butter
  
• 1⁄4 cup 2% or whole milk
  
• 1tspvanillaextract
  
• 3 large very ripe bananas
  Bananas are the most important ingredient, so make sure your bananas are very ripe or else the bread will not have the desired sweetness and flavor. You must purchase bananas from the grocery store in advance and wait for them to ripen. Wait until there are brown spots, and it is a soft to the touch. This will take about five to seven days. It will not look yellow, but that’s okay!
  Directions
  

Note: Most of the steps are based on a baking technique called aeration. Aeration is the incorporation of air into ingredients in order to create more volume and produce a lighter texture. So, please carefully follow all directions, especially the mixing process. 

Preheat the oven to 325°F. 

Use a sieve to sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon together into the large bowl (not the mixing bowl yet). Never use a spoon or your hand to force the ingredients through the sieve. Hit the side of it with the palm of your hand. To properly measure flour, you need to aerate it because you can end up with more flour than necessary. Do this by scooping the flour multiple times with a spoon, like mixing a salad. Then, use the spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, and level it out with a knife.
In the large mixing bowl, mix the eggs with the hand mixer. Slowly pour in the sugar, waiting for it to be fully incorporated until pouring more. This does not mean the hand mixer needs to be at a slow setting but rather this patient technique allows the ingredients to combine evenly.

Melt the butter in the microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Don’t heat it for too long because you’ll have to wait longer for the butter to cool down before mixing everything. Stir it until it is all melted. Stir in milk and vanilla extract. It is okay if it separates a little but wait for it cool down before moving on. Pour this mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Again, pour and mix slowly. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, still pouring and mixing slowly.
Puree the bananas with the hand mixer. Make sure to do this step last because the banana puree will turn brown if you leave it out. Also, you should be able to mix it right away without cutting it into pieces. If not, then your bananas aren’t ripe enough! Then, add the bananas to the mixture and for the last time... pour and mix slowly! 

Prepare your cake pan by using a non-stick cooking spray to line the inside. Don’t forget the sides! If you don’t have any, use a paper towel with just enough oil or melted butter to line the pan. Then, line the pan with parchment paper. This will eliminate the crust and create a better texture on the edges and corners of the bread because the bread is not in direct contact with the metal of the pan. It will also be easier to remove the bread from the pan after baking.

Pour the batter into the pan, making sure that the paper is still underneath. Tap the bottom of the pan onto the counter to get rid of any air bubbles; they will create air pockets within the bread, and we do not want inconsistencies in texture. 

Carefully place the pan onto the center rack of the oven. Wear oven mitts if needed to prevent burning your hand.
Bake for about 45 to 60 minutes or until the top is brown. Check to see if the bread is done by using a toothpick to poke through the center of the bread. If the toothpick comes out dry, then the bread is done.
After taking it out of the oven, do not leave the bread in the pan for too long because it will continue to cook because of the hot pan. On the bright side, you can enjoy it while it is still warm! Another great part about banana bread is that it is as delicious straight from the oven as it is the next day or the day after that! 

Food for Thought 

Baking goes beyond just a cooked mixture of flour and sugar. Enjoying something that you created with your own two hands is fulfilling, and what is more rewarding than a sweet treat? Memories. It’s making someone smile when you give them a piece that they never asked for but received because you simply thought of them. It’s laughing about how much flour is on your face and their clothes, and you’ll both still be laughing about it tomorrow or next week or next year. It’s people asking for you to make it again and again, and you wholeheartedly do it again and again because it brings you closer together. It’s the wish of simple happiness for others that you cannot fully convey through words but still want them to know and feel because we forget that when life gets hard. With that in mind, go out into world with a bright smile. A single star stands out against a dark sky but a sky full of stars is reflected in the eyes.