Over the years, I baked my way through countless banana bread recipes and rarely attempt the same recipe more than once. Banana bread is such a basic baked good yet subtle differences can mean I’ll politely take one slice rather than clamouring for the whole loaf to myself. Obviously I want something with an intense banana flavour. For that to happen, there must be a substantial amount of mashed bananas in the batter and of course the bananas must be spotty ripe to begin with. The usual adage of chocolate makes everything better doesn’t apply to my perfect loaf of banana bread. Chocolate is an assertive ingredient and it can so easily overshadow the banana flavour. Nuts are great but only if they remain crunchy. Walnuts and bananas are a classic pairing that works for me. In addition to all that, I want every slice to be moist and tender but never greasy.
I bookmarked the banana bread recipe from Baking Illustrated years ago but never got around to it until today. This recipe is available online at Leite’s Culinaria and it belongs in my “recipes to travel with” category. It does not require any special equipment nor ingredients so I can easily whip up a batch in unfamiliar (and most likely poorly equipped) kitchens. I had four over-the-hill bananas sitting on the counter on this public holiday and I am forced to stay home to rest (more on that later). I’m glad that I finally give this recipe the attention it deserves.
You can’t find a more straight-forward rendition of banana bread than this version from America’s Test Kitchen. Yet, for all its simplicity, it delivers on the promise of what I look for in a perfect loaf. The memories of all those years of detour involving chocolate, coconut, lemon, olive oil, sour cream melted away in one satisfying bite. Can this possibly be the end of my pursuit of banana bread perfection?
Chasing after perfection is a common theme running through many aspects of my life. As an athlete, I look for that perfect race when every piece of the puzzle fall into place. I train hard to prepare my body for the physical demand of inline speed skating. I work on drills to tweak my skating technique. My tapering periods are carefully planned so that I can be well-rested but not sluggish for big races. I pray for good weather on race day and prepare myself mentally so that I can be positive and confident when I step on the start line. So many things can go wrong and I may never have my perfect race despite doing everything in my power to be prepared. However, that never stops me from trying. Even if I am one small step away from achieving perfection, the satisfaction lies in being ever closer to my goal.
In a very similar way, that is how I feel about this banana bread. I am thrilled that it fits all my ideal criteria. Yet, something is amiss. I crave the character that whole grain flour brings. With only unbleached all purpose flour, the texture is tender but the flavour is just slightly on the boring side. My mind cannot help but dwell on the possibilities that whole wheat, oat, rye, buckwheat, and spelt can bring. My pursuit of banana bread perfection is not yet over but today, I am satisfied that I am one big step closer.