Favorite Banana Bread

Plenty of banana bread recipes exist. What lifts this one is the three teaspoons of fresh orange zest sifted into the dry ingredients. The citrus oil wakes up the bananas and adds a subtle perfume that makes the loaf taste fresh instead of just sweet.

Using oil instead of butter has practical advantages. The crumb stays moist longer than a butter-based loaf, the prep skips the creaming step, and you can mix the batter cold straight from the fridge without waiting for anything to soften. Less work, better keeping quality.

The technique is the simplest possible quickbread method: sift the dries, combine the wets, stir together until just mixed. Lumps are fine and even desirable. A heavy hand develops gluten and you’ll end up with a tough, gummy loaf instead of a tender one. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50 minutes in a greased and lined loaf pan.

Pro Tips

• Use very ripe spotty bananas, the more brown skin the deeper the banana flavor and natural sweetness
• Stir wet into dry only until just combined, lumps lead to tender crumb
• Line the pan with parchment overhang for easy lift-out and clean slicing
• Cool 10 minutes in the pan before turning out, the loaf is fragile while warm

Variations

• Fold in ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch and classic flavor
• Add ½ cup chocolate chips for a kid-friendly version
• Stir in ⅓ cup raisins or dried cranberries for extra fruit