In Mama Steph's Kitchen

I know you’ve been searching, just as I have, for the perfect banana bread recipe. There are breads out there that use chocolate chips, various nuts, pumpkin, bacon, and all kinds of other wonderful things to add to banana bread. I have enjoyed many of them!

However, yesterday I had the pleasure of watching Hugh Jackman visit Martha Stewart on a replay of her show on tv, and, as handsome and charming as he is, I was distracted by the banana bread.

It was simple. No trendy additions. No unusual techniques or fancy names. It was just banana bread.

Since I had a bunch of bananas my sons never bothered to eat this week, and which were nicely spotty and ripe, I decided to throw caution to the wind and just be…simple.

I was thrilled with the results. This is the best banana bread I’ve ever eaten! The best tip: use butter instead of oil in your breads. I am with Martha on this one from now on. It has a lighter, though still dense and moist, texture, and the flavor is much better. I was shocked at the difference.

p.s. She said butter, not margarine. I can’t vouch for your results if you use a stick of chemicals….er, I mean margarine.

Here it is, the plain and simple truth… this is the

Perfect banana bread

by Martha Stewart

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 3)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (I used Fat Free Greek yogurt)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional; I didn’t use them)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

   Recipe © 2012 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

    

   I used Greek yogurt simply because it was what I had on hand; no sour cream. I would continue to do so, as it cuts out fat calories and the result is the same. In fact, I have often thought that Greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream, and I don’t think most people would know the difference if you put it on their baked potato, even, as it is so similar. Just healthier for you!

   I also used a spitz of Baker’s Joy cooking spray, as it works perfectly and you don’t have to do all that messy butter spreading in the pan. That’s just my opinion, and you can certainly use butter to grease your loaf pan if you like.  :)

    

    

   

    

I hope you enjoy this bread as much as I did; my boys had it for breakfast, and they went back for seconds, eating it with a tall glass of cold milk in hand. That made this mama very happy.

Enjoy!

Copyright 2012 Stephanie Hill-Frazier. All rights reserved.