"In life, there are cooks, and there are bakers." I heard someone say this recently, and I have to say I somewhat agree. My husband certainly would. Baking means measuring, waiting, leaving things alone to let them work on their own. Cooking means tossing, tasting, improvising. This is not to say that baking is less creative than cooking, but it is more, well, measured. My husband is a fabulous cook. He can go to the store and be inspired, then come home and make something wonderful. He created a dish of brussels sprouts and bacon that he makes for me on my birthday; it is truly better than cake. He is a genius with seasoning and anything pig. I can't remember the last time I saw him use a recipe, unless it was one he created and I forced him to write down. He can bake, but he hates it (the whole recipe-measuring thing). I, on the other hand, also love to cook, but I need a recipe to feel safe. But baking is my true passion. I love the serenity of baking, the patience it demands, how it just slows you down, requires you to be careful, thoughtful, but how all of the steps are laid out for you and all you need do is follow them to be successful. Nothing in life ever seems so clear and simple. It's Zen, with sugar.
Banana Bread is one of those dishes that rewards a small amount of patience with a delicious and comforting treat. This is my favorite version. It uses plain yogurt to tenderize and add moisture, and it is perfect made with frozen bananas, which I pretty much collect on a weekly basis as there's always that one banana in each bunch that no one ever eats. Keep in mind that you make quickbreads like banana bread using the same techniques you use for muffins: dry ingredients whisked together in a large bowl, wet ingredients in a medium bowl, add the wet to the dry, and gently fold together with a plastic spatula until just mixed. Do not overmix or whisk--this will make the bread dense and tough. (To fold: Press your spatula through the center of the mixture to the bottom of the bowl and gently scoop and lift the bottom ingredients to the top. Turn the bowl a quarter-turn; repeat. Do this until you do not see any large streaks of flour.)
A note on using frozen bananas: When you're baking, you want everything to be at the same temperature, in this case, room temperature. Give the bananas plenty of time to thaw--a few hours--and do not worry if they turn brown. They will be fine. Also, a lot of moisture will come out as they thaw. Be sure to drain most of this out over the sink before you add the other wet ingredients to the bowl or else the batter will be too thin and wet and the bread will not rise properly.
Banana Bread
(adapted from Baking Illustrated)
2 cups (10 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup pecans (toasted, opt.)
3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz.) sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 very ripe large bananas, mashed well
1/4 cup plain yogurt (low-fat is fine)
2 large eggs
6 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled (do this step first to give the butter time to cool)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Melt the butter in a small bowl; allow to cool.
2. Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. Move an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350 F. (You can butter and flour the pan if you want, but cooking spray is easier and less messy.)
3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and pecans in a large bowl (weigh all ingredients is possible); set aside.
4. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until well-blended.
5. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the banana mixture. Gently fold in the banana mixture with a rubber spatula. Fold only you see no more large streaks of flour; be sure to scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl as well. The mixture will look very chunky.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Variations: You can add chocolate chips, any kind of nut, coconut, orange zest, dried fruit, basically anything you want to this batter.
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