5 common mistakes to avoid when baking banana bread
One of the funniest posts we recently came across on social media was a photo of a few overripe bananas captioned #nevermorebananabread #damnpandemic #finallyoutoflockdown. But for those stubbornly and cheerfully carrying on with baking banana bread (it’s a classic for a reason!): avoid these common mistakes and your banana bread will be the most delicious ever…
Because it’s a simple recipe, you might be inclined to think you can easily freestyle with it. And yes, it’s a recipe that even beginner bakers can use to steal the show—because who doesn’t get happy when someone brings or serves fresh, fragrant banana bread? But according to food editor Rachel Askinasi, the following mistakes can seriously ruin the whole thing, so don’t do this:
Using cups (incorrectly) instead of weighing
All professional pastry chefs and bakers agree: when baking, it’s better to use a scale than the cups commonly used in American and British kitchens. But if you’re following a banana bread recipe that uses cups (and you have them at home), make sure at the very least that you don’t pack the flour in firmly and tightly (what they call ‘packed’). This can mean you use more flour than necessary, resulting in a dry, crumbly bake. Spoon the flour loosely into the cup and then level it off.
Using baking powder when the recipe calls for baking soda
Don’t have baking soda at home but do have baking powder? Sorry, no go. According to Askinasi, this drastically changes the flavor, and in banana bread in particular it creates a chemical taste. Think banana candy, she says. Hmm, banana candy…
Not adjusting the number of eggs
Want to make a small banana bread, or a few banana muffins? If the recipe calls for an odd number of eggs and you want to halve the quantity, don’t forget to do the same for the eggs. If you don’t, you’ll end up with a spongy loaf in which the other flavors are overshadowed by egg. A bit of a hassle to halve an egg, admittedly, but the result is worth it. First beat the egg or eggs in a bowl, then carefully spoon out half. You can of course also do this on a scale. Keep whatever is left refrigerated and tightly sealed, and use it within 24 hours in a delicious plate of scrambled eggs!
Being too frugal with the sugar
Think you’re being sensibly healthy by reducing the amount of sugar in the recipe? Besides adding flavor, sugar is also there to keep the bake soft and prevent it from drying out. If you leave out a large portion, you’ll end up with a dry loaf without much distinctive flavor—and that would be a shame after all that effort, wouldn’t it?
Being too generous with the butter
When you think of butter in a baked good, you probably think of a rich, full, layered and moist result, right? But adding too much butter doesn’t simply make all these good qualities a little stronger. So don’t be tempted to add an extra knob of butter ‘for flavor’ (as you might, for example, when cooking a good steak). In banana bread, it only creates a heavy, stodgy loaf in which the banana flavor gets pushed aside. What a shame…
Also read:
- Have you tried banana ketchup yet? You have to taste it!
- Can you eat green bananas—and more pressing banana questions answered
- Shit: we really do have a serious banana problem
Source: Insider
