Banana bread issues

[Begonia]

Can anyone share a really nice banana bread recipe with me? Something tried and true thru the ages?

Bit of background...I used to make banana bread all the time. Not sure what recipe I used, but it wasn't rocket science ya know? Then I started using internet recipes and Every. Dang. Time, there's problems with da bread. Wet in the middle is usually the problem, but there have been other structural issues as well. I do toothpick and everything is seemingly fine. I thought it was my oven, then we got a new stove. Granted, it's a piece of crap for quality (altho it wasn't cheap). I've used internal thermometers to ensure cook temp, replaced my baking soda and powder, fresh flour, stick to the ingredients, room temp ingredients etc etc etc.

I need a banana bread expert to bring me back on the straight and narrow here. It would sure be appreciated, I'm going bananas over here!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i made one regulary durring lockdown after never being a banana bread baker or eatter
it was fail safe
i dont beleave how hard it is to now find the recepie
at the time it was like the entire nation was making it

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i am not sure which one it was
it only had two bananas and two eggs and then we had the baking powder shortage and i never have caster sugar



but the Edmonds cook book is a national institution (our number one selling book of all time) and usually everything works

Banana Bread Recipe NZ | Edmonds Cooking

A nice moist loaf, great with a spread of butter.

edmondscooking.co.nz

 

[diamondyes]

Peanut Butter Banana Brownies Recipe by Tasty

Here's what you need: ripe bananas, sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, flour, cocoa powder, salt, creamy peanut butter

tasty.co

 

[Rfisher]

don’t know if this will help you on what’s changed for you on a recipe that used to work for you and now it doesn’t -
With banana bread ive found that using way too overripe, or previously frozen bananas doesnt work very well especially in a oil instead of butter and sugar heavy recipe.
use firmer banana and only
fork them in small pieces - don’t liquefy them.
and bananas come in so many different sizes- it’s yet another reason for me to only pick recipes that go by weight.

cooks illustrated banana bread recipe would be my choice over a higher sugar/oil one.

 

[Begonia]

i am not sure which one it was
it only had two bananas and two eggs and then we had the baking powder shortage and i never have caster sugar



but the Edmonds cook book is a national institution (our number one selling book of all time) and usually everything works

Banana Bread Recipe NZ | Edmonds Cooking

A nice moist loaf, great with a spread of butter.

edmondscooking.co.nz

Giving it a go @Daisys and Diamonds. Thank you!! Once I figure out what self rising flour is. We don't have that here...

 

[Begonia]

don’t know if this will help you on what’s changed for you on a recipe that used to work for you and now it doesn’t -
With banana bread ive found that using way too overripe, or previously frozen bananas doesnt work very well especially in a oil instead of butter and sugar heavy recipe.
use firmer banana and only
fork them in small pieces - don’t liquefy them.
and bananas come in so many different sizes- it’s yet another reason for me to only pick recipes that go by weight.

cooks illustrated banana bread recipe would be my choice over a higher sugar/oil one.

Ahhh, yes. They're all mushy.

Cooks Illustrated. I have a few of their cookbooks Checking it out @Rfisher!

 

[lala646]

This one. My all time favorite.

Cinnamon Swirled Banana Bread

This Cinnamon Swirled Banana Bread is full of buttery cinnamon sugar throughout the moistest banana bread that's out of this world delicious!

thebakermama.com

I've made it as written, but also made it lower calorie, swapping half of the butter for unsweetened apple sauce, and half of the sugar for Splenda (in the loaf only, not the cinnamon/sugar mixture), and it is just always moist and delicious. I would say I make a loaf every other month, and never tire of it.

 

[lala646]

I also feel like you can never go wrong with a King Arthur recipe:

Banana Bread

Banana bread is everyone's favorite quick bread! Our moist, dense version has pleasingly mild banana flavor, enhanced with a light touch of spice.

www.kingarthurbaking.com

 

[Rfisher]

Ahhh, yes. They're all mushy.

Cooks Illustrated. I have a few of their cookbooks Checking it out @Rfisher!

Let us know what you choose to do and how it compares!
Here’s an online version of C.I’s

Banana Bread by Cook's Illustrated

This banana bread, from Cook's Illustrated, is made with very ripe bananas, toasted walnuts, yogurt, and vanilla and is an easy quick bread.

leitesculinaria.com

 

[Begonia]

This one. My all time favorite.

Cinnamon Swirled Banana Bread

This Cinnamon Swirled Banana Bread is full of buttery cinnamon sugar throughout the moistest banana bread that's out of this world delicious!

thebakermama.com

I've made it as written, but also made it lower calorie, swapping half of the butter for unsweetened apple sauce, and half of the sugar for Splenda (in the loaf only, not the cinnamon/sugar mixture), and it is just always moist and delicious. I would say I make a loaf every other month, and never tire of it.

Oooooo, thank you @lala646! I'm gonna try it.

 

[marymm]

I swear by King Arthur Baking's Whole Grain Banana Bread recipe:
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/whole-grain-banana-bread-recipe

The recipe calls for 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour (which I always have on hand) and 1 cup white whole wheat flour -- but I just use regular whole wheat flour.

I've tried this recipe with all whole wheat flour but it ends up with a denser flatter loaf which looked & tasted fine but just not as tasty to my palate preferences.

It's a versatile forgiving recipe for those times you are a bit short on bananas or only have one egg, and I've subbed in applesauce on occasion (though of course that changes the overall flavor).

I sprinkle crystalized sugar on top before baking.

 

[diamondyes]

I made these today. Incredible!

I was short a banana so I added an extra egg, and some apple sauce…. Yum.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/banana-muffins/

 

[Ionysis]

So funny you should post this. I made a DOUBLE batch at the weekend as my girls and husband love it and… it was a disaster! I forgot to add the baking soda!! You can imagine it was solid and heavy as a lump of clay. Both tins. Such an idiot move. The kids still ate it as I put chocolate chips in but really it was disgusting.

So my advice whatever recipe you choose - do NOT forget the leavening agent!

 

[adlgel]

I make my grandmother's recipe pound cake every year for Christmas. This is a very expensive cake to make given the amount of butter, eggs, sugar, cream cheese, etc. I made it one year and it looked great in the oven but collapsed after I took it out. So, I made it again and the same thing happened. Some might have given up at this point but I was just so angry at myself that I had to get it right.

I read the recipe closely and assembled all the ingredients for the third try and realized I had been using baking soda instead of the baking powder the recipe called for. That was a costly mistake that I haven't repeated since lol.

 

[MrsBlue]

Banana Cake

Ripe bananas are good for more than banana bread. Try them in this moist buttermilk Banana Cake with cream cheese frosting. After just one bite, you'll wish you discovered this delicious dessert recipe years ago!

www.bhg.com

This recipe has been a hit with my family and friends for years. It's a cake and bakes up lighter than bread recipes do. I use lightly salted butter in place of the shortening and don't bother with frosting. It's rich enough as is, especially if you use good quality butter.

 

[CMN]

@Begonia i have also been trying to bake the perfect banana bread for the last few months and have gone through about 6 recipes so far. My conclusion - you should look for a banana cake recipe and bake it in a loaf tin, not a banana bread recipe.

The recipes that have tried include two banana bread recipes from America‘s Test Kitchen.

 

[Ionysis]

I made a great batch this week. Here is the recipe. I baked it in a loaf tin and for my kids I added chocolate chips and only half a cup of sugar not the entire one. For me and my husband I added dried fruit and nuts. It was awesome.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

This chocolate chip banana bread is sweet and moist thanks to the addition of very ripe bananas; lots of chocolate chips turn it into a special treat!

www.allrecipes.com

 

[Begonia]

@Begonia i have also been trying to bake the perfect banana bread for the last few months and have gone through about 6 recipes so far. My conclusion - you should look for a banana cake recipe and bake it in a loaf tin, not a banana bread recipe.

The recipes that have tried include two banana bread recipes from America‘s Test Kitchen.

Roger that! I'm still struggling, but I also have a sh*t stove!
(And it's newish)

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Giving it a go @Daisys and Diamonds. Thank you!! Once I figure out what self rising flour is. We don't have that here...

excuse me missing this dear Begonia
how is the banana bread going ?
i have three bananas in the pantry going speckled but ive been making smoothies over the summer from frozen bananas i would usually use for banana loaf

im always surprised you guys dont have SR flour
mum started buying it in the late 80s when muffins (the ones in muffin pans not the Uk ones that go in the toaster) became a thing here
its just regular flour with BP and salt = i googled for you
durring the covid lock down and flour shortages i had to use what ever i could get (including subing 1/3 wholemeal flour which i had never used before -but you must sift wholemeal flour three times )
anyway for self raising flour
For every 1 cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt.

 

[Begonia]

excuse me missing this dear Begonia
how is the banana bread going ?
i have three bananas in the pantry going speckled but ive been making smoothies over the summer from frozen bananas i would usually use for banana loaf

im always surprised you guys dont have SR flour
mum started buying it in the late 80s when muffins (the ones in muffin pans not the Uk ones that go in the toaster) became a thing here
its just regular flour with BP and salt = i googled for you
durring the covid lock down and flour shortages i had to use what ever i could get (including subing 1/3 wholemeal flour which i had never used before -but you must sift wholemeal flour three times )
anyway for self raising flour
For every 1 cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt.

Hey @Daisys and Diamonds! The bb situation is going o k a y, not amazing though. I follow the recipes carefully and they need a much longer cook time than what the recipe says (oven issue?). Then the outside crust gets a bit dry. I might try lowering the temperature further, baking even longer and tinfoiling the ends? Or...try this banana cake in a tin suggesting by CMN? Worth a shot.

Yes! No SRF here, but the recipe is much appreciated! We're odd that way, also take measurements and not weights. It's a wonder anything turns out, but baking has always been forgiving for me...until this blasted banana bread LOL!!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Hey @Daisys and Diamonds! The bb situation is going o k a y, not amazing though. I follow the recipes carefully and they need a much longer cook time than what the recipe says (oven issue?). Then the outside crust gets a bit dry. I might try lowering the temperature further, baking even longer and tinfoiling the ends? Or...try this banana cake in a tin suggesting by CMN? Worth a shot.

Yes! No SRF here, but the recipe is much appreciated! We're odd that way, also take measurements and not weights. It's a wonder anything turns out, but baking has always been forgiving for me...until this blasted banana bread LOL!!

good luck in your perserverence
before i got an oven with descent seals i could not bake a cake
i knew i could bake, because i baked at home for mum and dad
but i never had the evidence to back me up

 

[Begonia]

good luck in your perserverence
before i got an oven with descent seals i could not bake a cake
i knew i could bake, because i baked at home for mum and dad
but i never had the evidence to back me up

We had the oven looked at (under warranty) but those guys never want to admit that it's a piece of junk! So now I'm forced to cook with convection to get my baking to cook. I think that's why everything is overcooked on the
outside and slightly mushy in the middle.
Bloody hell but I get so angry at the way appliances give up after just a few years and now...aren't even rightly built from the factory.
Sigh. Rant over. Pour us a brew.

 

[MamaBear]

We had the oven looked at (under warranty) but those guys never want to admit that it's a piece of junk! So now I'm forced to cook with convection to get my baking to cook. I think that's why everything is overcooked on the
outside and slightly mushy in the middle.
Bloody hell but I get so angry at the way appliances give up after just a few years and now...aren't even rightly built from the factory.
Sigh. Rant over. Pour us a brew.

When cooking on convection, are you lowering the temp 25 degrees? My user manual for my oven suggests this when using the convection feature. Maybe it will help?

 

[Begonia]

When cooking on convection, are you lowering the temp 25 degrees? My user manual for my oven suggests this when using the convection feature. Maybe it will help?

Good tip there! I'll try that. This junk bucket bakes lower than indicated but I'll give that a go!

 

[MamaBear]

Good tip there! I'll try that. This junk bucket bakes lower than indicated but I'll give that a go!

I do hope it works for you!!!

 

[lala646]

Good tip there! I'll try that. This junk bucket bakes lower than indicated but I'll give that a go!

Have you tried a thermometer in the oven so you can see the actual temp? I found having one to be quite useful back when I was in a rental with a dodgy old oven.

Also to add, I often have to add extra time on the BB. There's a lot of moisture going on, so just test for doneness every few minutes after the recipe says it should be finished. I have one pumpkin bread recipe which needs nearly 30 minutes longer than called for, but still turns out spectacular.

 

[Begonia]

Have you tried a thermometer in the oven so you can see the actual temp? I found having one to be quite useful back when I was in a rental with a dodgy old oven.

Also to add, I often have to add extra time on the BB. There's a lot of moisture going on, so just test for doneness every few minutes after the recipe says it should be finished. I have one pumpkin bread recipe which needs nearly 30 minutes longer than called for, but still turns out spectacular.

I have been testing, but great advice! Same here! The cinnamon swirl recipe above took another 30 mins. Got a b i t dry on the edges, but pretty good compared to some other attempts. I have to use convect on this piece of...

 

[lambskin]

Our newer oven is the opposite Begonia, the convection option is crap so we bake things all the time and I love to bake! I love the King Arthur banana bread recipe noted above for a traditional bb. Make sure your baking powder is not expired. It does have a shelf life and it does help it rise and be less gummy and more airy.

 

[seaurchin]

We do have self rising flour here in the US. It might be the kind of thing you wouldn't notice if you never specifically looked for it, though. Or maybe not available in all locales, idk.

I use overripe bananas in banana bread because when I've used bananas that weren't overripe, the resulting banana bread just didn't have much flavor.

If your banana bread is too done on the outside and not done enough on the inside, I'd try turning the oven down about 25 degrees F. Or make banana bread muffins instead, since there's less space between the interior and exterior that way.

I rarely use a recipe that I'm happy with the first time. It seems there's always a tweak or two it could use imo.