BEST EVER Simple Banana Bread

We have been baking banana bread consistently for the last seven years, and I'm telling you, this is the best recipe by far. My son will not let me make our banana bread any other way. Every time he sees me making banana bread, he says "Mom, I want you to make it the normal way. I don't want you to make it a new way." Here and there, when I'm experimenting a new banana bread recipe, I will tell him, "But what if we like the new way even more?" I'll tell you what, we have never like a new recipe more.

One of my favorite parts about this recipe is that it only uses one bowl. No more having to dirty two bowls from mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately! Also, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND using the sourdough discard. This recipe is still great without the sourdough discard, but the discard makes it so moist, chewy, and it bakes more evenly without getting too brown on the outside. In addition, the sourdough discard adds in the smallest hint of tanginess, which pairs excellently with the sweet bananas. And did I mention that using a sourdough discard increases this recipe's nutritional value?

There are many other ways to adjust this recipe to your liking, such as by increasing or decreasing the amount of sugar, or adding some mix-ins such as chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, a crumbly topping, etc. No matter how you like it, I know you will love this recipe, so grab those overripe bananas sitting on your counter and give this recipe a try!

BEST EVER Simple Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 3 very ripe bananas

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup sourdough starter discard (optional, if not using then add an additional 1/4 cup flour)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease your loaf pan and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mash your bananas with a fork until there are no more lumps. Stir in the melted butter.

3. Add the baking soda and salt and mix well. Next, add the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix until combined.

4. If using sourdough discard, add to the mixture. Add the flour and mix until combined.

5. Pour the batter into your loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of your loaf comes out clean. While baking, keep an eye to make sure the top isn't browning too quickly. If it is, tent it with a loose piece of foil to prevent it from browning any further.

6. Let the bread cool down in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and placing it onto a cooling rack. If you try to remove it from the loaf pan too soon, the loaf may fall apart.

7. Slice and serve. Enjoy!