Banana bread

My friend’s banana recipe. I have tasted it (read: ate the whole thing in a few hours), but I have not made it myself yet.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe bananas
• 80 g sunflower oil
• 80 g sugar
• 250 g flour (e.g. 200 g spelt)
• 10 g baking powder
• A pinch of cinnamon
• Vanilla extract
• 100 g dark chocolate

Preparation

Banana bread is a staple, but its success depends on the ripeness of the fruit and the handling of the batter. If you over-mix the dough, it becomes tough and rubbery. If your bananas aren’t ripe enough, the bread will lack the necessary depth of sweetness and moisture.

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan). Mash the bananas with the sunflower oil and sugar.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir the dough briefly. If you like, you can also add the vanilla.
3. Chop the dark chocolate and mix it into the batter.
4. Grease the baking tin and pour the batter into the tin.
5. Bake for around 50 minutes.

Use a skewer or toothpick to check the center. When it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the banana bread is ready.

If the top starts to brown too quickly before the center is set, cover it loosely with parchment paper or foil for the final 10 minutes. Let the bread cool in the tin for a bit before moving it to a wire rack; slicing it while too hot may cause it to crumble.