Abadoo's Banana Bread
Submitted by oranya
Abadoo’s Banana Bread: a simple, no-frills banana bread with three eggs for a tender, almost cake-like crumb. No nuts, no spices, just pure ripe banana flavor in every slice.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
50 minREADY
70 minAbadoo’s Banana Bread is the unfussy version of America’s most-baked quick bread. No nuts. No cinnamon. No chocolate chips. Just ripe bananas, eggs, sugar, and a little shortening building toward the cleanest banana flavor possible.
The three-egg ratio is generous, and that is the secret. Most banana bread recipes use one or two eggs. This one tilts toward custard, giving the loaf a tender, almost cake-like crumb that beats the dense, gummy texture some banana breads land on.
Use ripe bananas, almost overripe. The brown-spotted ones at the bottom of the fruit bowl are exactly right. Yellow bananas without spots taste flat and lack the deep banana sweetness this loaf needs.
The recipe folds in the eggs at the end after mashing the bananas with shortening and sugar. This unusual order keeps the eggs from over-incorporating and prevents a tough crumb.
Add the flour mixture half a cup at a time, mixing only until each addition disappears. Banana bread is a quick bread, and overmixing is its enemy.
The 50-minute bake gives just enough time for the center to set. Test with a wooden skewer at the 45-minute mark; banana bread can shift from underdone to dry in five minutes.
Kitchen Tips
- Mash the bananas to a chunky-not-smooth consistency. Visible banana flecks add texture and pockets of intense flavor in each slice.
- Substitute butter for shortening if you want richer flavor. Shortening was the period-correct choice but butter tastes better today.
- Wrap leftover slices individually in plastic for easy lunchbox grabs. The bread keeps well for three days at room temperature.
- For a deeper, more caramelized banana note, freeze and thaw the bananas before mashing. Freezing breaks down the cell walls and intensifies sweetness.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and half a teaspoon of nutmeg to the dry ingredients for a spiced version.
- Stir in half a cup of mini chocolate chips just before baking for a kid-friendly twist.
- Top the unbaked loaf with a sprinkle of demerara sugar for a crunchy, caramelized crust.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl add shortening, sugar and bananas; mix well.
Add flour mixture ½ cup at a time until well blended.
Beat eggs in a separate bowl; then fold into the mixture.
Bake at 350℉ (180℃). for 50 minutes in an 8 x 4 x 2½ greased pan.
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