Banana Bread

The Recipe: Simple Banana Bread

Prep time: 10 mins | Bake time: 45-55 mins | Yields: One 20cm loaf

Ingredients:

• 230g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 4 large, soft bananas

• 100ml full-fat milk

• 2 medium eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 120g sunflower oil

• 200g soft brown sugar

• 3 tbsp granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

Instructions:

1. Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a 20cm loaf baking tin with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Set this aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer (using the paddle attachment), beat the bananas, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.

4. Add the milk and oil to the banana mixture and mix again just until combined.

5. Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix well until you have a smooth, silky batter.

6. Pour the batter into your prepared tin and smooth out the top with a spatula.

7. Sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly over the top of the loaf—this creates a lovely, slightly crisp crust. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

8. Let the loaf cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool slightly.

Atiyeh’s Notes: This recipe is wonderfully versatile. You can bake it in any shape you like; just keep an eye on the oven and adjust your baking time if you choose a smaller or larger tin. It is also quite easy to scale up if you are baking for a crowd!

How do you like your banana bread? Do you keep it simple, or do you like to throw in some walnuts or chocolate chips? Let me know in the comments below!