One Bowl Classic Buttermilk Banana Bread

• Unsalted Butter: It is very important to have your butter at room temperature. You can ensure this by lightly pressing your finger on the block of butter. It should slightly leave an imprint. I also prefer to use unsalted butter because salted butters have varying amounts of salt content in them and it is always a good idea to add it on your own and avoid your bakes from being too salty.
• Brown Sugar: You can use either light or dark brown sugar to make this recipe. Brown sugar helps to add moisture & softness to the bread.
• Plain Yogurt: I try to incorporate plain yogurt into my bakes as much as I can as it gives a more natural flavour and texture to the banana bread. It also helps to make the banana bread dense like it should be. It also helps to keep it fresh longer. However, you can always substitute this with sour cream or greek yogurt. Make sure to drain out all the water from it if has any.
• Mashed Bananas: You will need around 3-4 ripe bananas to make one loaf of this bread. You can mash them using a pastry cutter or a hand mixer. Make sure you don’t leave any large lumps in them.
• Vanilla: I highly recommend that you use a high quality, pure vanilla extract. This helps in giving a rich flavor to your baked goods. Pure vanilla extracts are typically dark brown in color. This enhances the flavor of all ingredients and you should never leave this out.
• Egg: Use large eggs and bring them to room temperature before mixing in. Eggs strengthen the binding of your bakes and also add moisture. Having your eggs at room temperature makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly in your bread. A good way of doing this is by letting them sit in a bowl filled with room temperature water for around 10 minutes or until they come down to room temperature.
• All-purpose flour: I highly recommend weighing all your ingredients using a kitchen scale for accurate recipe results. If you’re using cups, don’t scoop your cup into the flour. Spoon the flour into your cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
• Leaveners: To ensure that these bread rises and browns evenly, you will need to add both baking powder and baking soda.
• Ground Cinnamon: I always prefer to ground cinnamon sticks on my own and it adds a more natural flavor to the baked goods. However you can also use a store-bought cinnamon powder.
• Ground Nutmeg: I always love adding lots of spices to my bakes. But if this is not something that you prefer, you can always leave it out. However, I highly recommend adding it as it helps to enhance the flavour of cinnamon in the muffins.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is more acidic and has a higher fat content than whole milk too. Both of these things help it cut through the sweetness of the bread, giving it an overall well rounded flavour. It also helps to add moisture to your bakes.

This homemade banana bread has a few secret ingredients that help to make it so soft, moist & dense alongwith maintaining the sweet crunchy crumb. Brown sugar & buttermilk help to make the bread moist and soft. Brown sugar sprinkled on top helps to get an evenly browned bread & get that deliciously sweet & crunchy top. Plain yogurt plays an important role in making the banana bread dense as it should be alongwith also adding a better overall flavour & texture and keeps the bread fresh longer.

If your crumb seems to be browned enough halfway through baking, cover it with an aluminium foil to prevent it from burning and continue baking it for the remaining amount of time. Banana bread is baked when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean without any crumbs attached to it.

Banana bread freezes like a charm. You can freeze banana bread using the instructions below to preserve its fresh flavour and texture for months:

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• You can always substitute plain yogurt with sour cream. However fresh yogurt adds a more natural flavour and texture and helps the bread stay fresh longer. Make sure to drain out all the water from it if has any.
• You can always leave out nutmeg but I highly recommend it as it helps to enhance the flavour of cinnamon in the bread.
• If you’re in a pinch and don’t have buttermilk in hand, I have a DIY substitute for you. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in half cup. You can double or half this as required. Fill that cup with whole milk to the top. Mix and let it sit for 5 minutes. That’s it, your buttermilk is ready. Your muffins may not turn out marvellous, but they will still be delicious!
• I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer and a kitchen scale. Baking at accurate temperatures and weighing your ingredients correctly ensure that you can replicate the recipes perfectly and enjoy the best flavors.

Happy Baking!