I must admit, I have only started making and enjoying bread since moving to Italy. Before then, the concept of cooking a banana in a cake was just strange to me. But, when I got to Italy I saw that we often had over ripe bananas left over which would mostly go to waste. So, I figured why not give this famous banana bread a go and see what the fuss is all about! I didn’t expect it to become a staple in our household, and my Mum continues to tell people how we are now no longer allowed to throw about brown bananas and actually, we end up leaving 3-4 bananas especially so I can make a banana bread.
It’s taken me quite a few attempts to get the consistency and flavour right, but I have finally grasped it! One of the main issues I had, which to be honest has been a problem across all of my baking, is that the butter here in Italy just doesn’t compare to British butter. The stuff you find in supermarkets is white rather than yellow and has this rancid smell to it. As a result, every time I was making my banana bread, I always suffered when creaming the butter and sugar as there was this rancid smell. Thankfully I have discovered a butter that is as close as I’m going to get to British butter and that is Brazzale’s “Burro Superiore Fratelli Brazzale”.
This butter makes me feel like I’m home, it’s creamy, spreadable, and has that yellow colour we all know and love back in the UK. When it comes to making cakes, now when I cream the butter with the sugar, I no longer have to deal with the rancid smell that I used to get and the flavours of my cakes are exactly how they should be. So if you’re based in Italy, or if you see it sold anywhere, I recommend you buy it and try it for yourself, make this banana bread or even if it’s just simply try it on toast. You won’t regret it and you’ll certainly be thanking me later!
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minutesIngredients
100 g Walnuts
260 g Plain flour, sifted
1 Tsp Bicarbonate soda
1/4 Tsp Salt
110 g Unsalted butter, softened
240 g Golden caster sugar
2 Eggs, room temperature
1/4 Cup Whole milk, room temperature
1 Tsp Vanilla extract
4 Medium bananas, very ripe
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ / 160℃ Fan, grease and line a 30x10cm / 12x4in loaf tin. In a small bowl, mash 3 bananas until almost smooth – you can leave some lumps if you prefer. Set aside.
- Place the walnuts on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes. Remove and leave to cool. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the flour, bicarbonate soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy – around 3-5 minutes, scrapping down the sides to ensure the sugar dissolves.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, whisk until well combined. Pour in the milk and mashed bananas and whisk again until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and slowly fold using a spatula or wooden spoon. Avoid over mixing and stop just before the flour is fully combined. Roughly chop the roasted walnuts, add to the mix and fold again to fully combine.
- Pour the batter into the loaf tin, smooth the top. Peel and cut the last banana length ways and place on top, carefully pushing it into the batter so the cut side faces up.
- Bake for 50 minutes and check if it’s cooked through. If it is still wet in the middle (especially close to the bananas), bake in 5 minute intervals until it is just cooked. Remove and leave in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. You will find that the middle will cook through and won’t be soggy once cooled.
- Keep in an airtight container or wrap in cling film and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can also slice it up and freeze it if desired.