Banana Bread

Preheat the oven to 175°C (345°F) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

~3 min

Mash the ripe bananas well with a fork.

~3 min

Cream the room-temperature butter and sugar together until smooth, then mix in the eggs one at a time.

~5 min

Add the mashed banana and mix until evenly combined.

~2 min

Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and fold just until no dry flour remains.

~3 min

Watch out: Overmixing develops too much gluten and makes the bread tough — stop as soon as the flour disappears.

Gently fold in the chopped walnuts.

~2 min

Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

~2 min

Bake in the preheated oven 50–55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

~52 min

Why: Baking long enough for a deep golden-brown crust ensures the inside is fully cooked and stays moist rather than underdone.

Remove from the pan, let cool completely, then slice and serve.

~10 min