Totoro Banana BreadI'm a food blog

Do you have bananas on your counter? Or, like me, do you buy bananas specifically to make banana bread?

I rarely eat bananas alone, but overripe brown bananas are the perfect excuse to bake banana bread: They're candied, sweet, and super chewy—the perfect base for a quick, tasty bread.

Banana bread is my weakness.

If I could, I would eat a serving every morning with my morning coffee. Would it be great if a slice of banana bread in the morning was as standard as a morning coffee? Life would be glorious. I love ALL banana breads, but this particular recipe is my all-time favorite. I made a lot of banana breads and this is it!

I'm a banana bread purist: no nuts, no chocolate, no dried banana chips. I love that my banana bread tastes like bananas. I love how something magical happens when plantains are cooked; The sugars caramelize and intensify, making the bananas taste even more banana-like.

This bread is everything I dream of.

The flavor is intensely banana and the interior is tender and honeyed. When you cut it, there is an even tight crumb, with balanced elasticity and grip. It's smooth but not too sweet, with lots of banana tones and subtle caramel notes.

This is a version of Joanne Chang's famous Flour Bakery banana bread.

This is the best recipe for a moist and dense banana bread with banana flavor, but light texture. Essentially, this is your recipe with a little baking powder to give it a little more volume so that the top becomes that quintessential domed top bump. I cut it out and decorated each slice in Totoro for a cute Halloween treat.

But wait, is banana bread really a cake?

Come to think of it, why is banana bread considered a morning delicacy? Is it because it's called "bread"? Is it just a cake disguised as bread and sliced? The answer is yes and no.

Technically, banana bread is quick bread: a baked good with baking powder or baking soda instead of yeast. The generic term "quick breads" actually includes cakes as well as brownies and, of course, things like banana bread or pumpkin bread.

When most people tend to think of bread, they think of yeast breads like sourdough, baguettes, or sandwich breads. So no, banana bread is not "bread", but bread. Confused, right? You can thank the English language for that. But I guess the real question is, is it a piece of cake? Okay, yes. It is a cake in the form of a bread and it is good. Delicious in all its forms!

Banana bread in oil vs butter

I always prefer to make my empanadas with oil and you should too! Oil makes empanadas and quick breads softer and chewier. The oil will give you that classic banana bread flavor you get when you buy a slice at a cafe.

How to make the best banana bread

1. Beat eggs and sugar. I like to use a stand mixer or hand mixer for this, but you can also use a whisk. You want the eggs and sugar to swell a little and be pale in color.
2. Add the oil while whisking. Slowly drizzle with oil while whisking.
3. Mixture. It's time to combine the mashed banana, sour cream and vanilla.
4. Fold. Gently fold in the dry ingredients until there are no more streaks of flour.
5. Cook. Pour everything into a greased and floured (or non-stick) loaf pan and bake until golden and cooked through. Let cool, cut and enjoy!

How to decorate in totoros

Once the bread is sliced ​​and cooled, you can decorate the slices like Totoro: give him candy eyes, give him a powdered sugar belly, and use melted chocolate to lick his nose and whiskers. It will be so cute that you almost won't want to eat it. But it tastes great, so go for it!

How to ripen bananas for banana bread

Usually before making banana bread, I buy bananas a few days before so I can ripen them myself. There are several tips to quickly ripen bananas:

• Separate them. Separating bananas helps them ripen faster because they release more ethylene (the gas that ripens fruit).
• Put them in a paper bag. Place the bananas in a paper bag and seal the top.
• Stick them in a warm place. Leave the paper bag of bananas in a warm place and if you have an apple add it, it will release more ethylene and encourage the ripening of the bananas.
• Bake them in a low oven. Technically, it doesn't ripen, but it sweetens the bananas. Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake on low heat (300°F) for 15 to 30 minutes. The skin will darken and the bananas will become very soft.

The best bread pan?

I love this 1lb Oxo Good Grip Nonstick Loaf Pan. Releases perfectly every time!

Happy Halloween month!
xoxo steph