Banana bread recipe | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why are older bananas better for banana bread? ›

Ripe bananas are not only softer and easier to mash and blend into a batter, but they are also sweeter, which is why baking recipes specifically call for ripe bananas in ingredient lists.

Fight the urge to use more banana than called for in your recipe. Using too much banana could make your bread heavy and damp in the center, causing it to appear undercooked and unappealing. If you have bananas leftover, you can always freeze them for later use.

Once a loaf of banana bread is fully baked and taken out of the oven, it's crucial to allow it to fully cool. Banana bread retains heat, especially in the center of the loaf. If the loaf is still warm once it's wrapped for storage, condensation can form, which can lead to mold.

The reason is as you mix, the gluten begins to develop, and when too much development happens, you can end up with a dense, chewy loaf rather than the soft and delicious banana bread you were hoping for.

Mold on bananas is fuzzy white, gray, or greenish—it looks a lot like mold on bread. If a banana smells rotten or fermented or is leaking fluid, it's time to say goodbye. If the fruit inside, not just the peel, is black, that's a sign that your banana is too far gone to safely eat.

Adding more eggs makes for a spongy, less flavorful banana bread. Doubling the number of eggs I was using resulted in a spongy cake with a moist texture. While the banana flavor was present, it wasn't as prominent as it was in other loaves. This had more of a hint of flavor.

Bake for longer: If the center of your banana bread is still gooey, you may need to bake it for a longer time. Check the bread every 5-10 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out with moist crumbs, continue baking until the toothpick comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.

Desserts may not be a part of your everyday diet. Instead, they are meant to be enjoyed as an occasional treat. If you eat sweet desserts, such as banana bread, too frequently, you may experience health issues — especially if the rest of your diet relies on ultra-processed, nutrient-poor foods.

Timing: It is generally recommended to refrigerate the batter for no more than 24 hours [1]. Beyond that, the leavening agents in the batter may lose their effectiveness, resulting in a denser final product. Flavor development: Refrigerating the batter overnight can actually enhance the flavor of the banana bread.

Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 200-205°F, about 55 to 65 minutes. Cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan to finish cooling completely.

What if the middle of banana bread is not cooked? ›

If your oven has not reached the correct baking temperature before the banana bread is placed in the oven, the banana bread will be undercooked and more likely to sink. I like to use a hanging oven thermometer placed inside my oven to see if the oven has reached the correct temperature.

Mistaking baking powder for baking soda changes the taste of banana bread. This is a colossal mistake that can drastically change the flavor of your loaf.

Yep, the baking soda in a standard banana bread. recipe is what reacts with the banana causing it to. turn black.

Here's the thing: your banana is ripening inside. As it sits at room temperature, starches convert to sugars, making the fruit sweeter and softer. These brown spots, often seen as a sign of spoilage, are actually a dead giveaway of peak banana bread potential.

Don't throw those overripe bananas away! Try one of these delicious recipes for coffee cake, cookies, ice cream, donuts, smoothies—and, yes, banana bread. Rebecca is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com.

Nigrospora squirter disease resides on banana debris, requires moisture, and sporulates after rainfall or after tree irrigation, and during the transportation and ripening, the disease develops further [7].