Naperville Banana Bread From Ellen King
My mom did not love to cook, but her go-to baking recipe was fruit bread. She would make large batches and freeze them so we always had something fruit-filled and a little sweet in our school lunches.
I spent most of my formative childhood years in Naperville, an old farming town turned Chicago suburb. It pretty much represented everything I disliked as a teenager: strip malls, subdivisions, and retention ponds. But this bread was a large part of my childhood there, and having moved back to the Midwest from the West Coast, I have come to appreciate many reminders of my childhood home: the massive old rock quarry we used to swim in, a bustling river, a thriving “downtown” area with historic architecture, and this delicious banana bread.
The key to this recipe is to use bananas that are almost completely black—the darker the better. The bananas become much sweeter and softer as they ripen, and as a result, the bread bakes better. Let bananas ripen on your countertop or in a brown paper bag until they reach this stage. I prefer to use Turkey Red flour or another hard red wheat because it adds a little more structure to the bread and gives it a beautiful nutty taste that pairs well with the bananas.
Photo by John Lee
INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 loaf
113 grams (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
205 grams (¾ cup) sugar
100 grams (2 large) eggs
4 grams (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
300 grams (2 cups) sifted heritage flour (Hard Red Winter/Hard Red Spring), such as Turkey Red
3 grams (½ teaspoon) fine sea salt
2 grams (½ teaspoon) baking soda
250 grams (2 medium) very ripe bananas, mashed
120 grams (¾ cup) dark chocolate chips (optional)
70 grams (½ cup) walnuts, chopped (optional)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter an 8x4-inch (20x10-centimeter) loaf pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld mixer and a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until the sugar crystals have dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and add to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until there are no visible traces of flour. With the mixer running on low speed, add the bananas and mix until just combined.
Using a wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts (if using). Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a metal skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife along the edges of the pan. Carefully tip the loaf out of the pan. Cut into thick slices and serve warm or at room temperature.
Banana bread can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months in a resealable plastic bag or an airtight container. To thaw, let the bread sit on the counter, still in the plastic bag, overnight. The next day, serve the bread when it reaches room temperature.
From Heritage Baking: by Ellen King. Reprinted by permission of Chronicle Books.
