Name: Banana bread
Yield: 1 loaf
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 250 g All-purpose flour Plain, not self-raising; 5 mL Baking soda Level measure; 1.25 mL Fine salt Level measure; 2.5 mL Ground cinnamon; 115 g Unsalted butter Softened; 150 g Brown sugar; 2 Large eggs Room temperature; 350 g Ripe banana Peeled and mashed; 80 g Plain Greek yogurt Room temperature

Method

01 · Prepare
5 min
Use: Tin; dry ingredients
Heat oven. Grease the tin and whisk the four dry ingredients together.
Ready when: Leavening dispersed
01 PrepareGrease the loaf tin and whisk the dry ingredients together evenly.
02 · Cream
About 3 min
Use: Butter, sugar; eggs
Beat butter and sugar until airy; beat in eggs separately.
Ready when: Light mixture
02 CreamBeat the butter and brown sugar until airy, adding the eggs one at a time.
03 · Combine
Briefly
Use: Banana, yogurt; dry mixture
Mix fruit and yogurt into the butter mixture. Fold in dry ingredients just until flour disappears.
Ready when: Thick, spoonable batter
03 CombineFold in the dry mixture just until the flour disappears; the batter should stay thick and spoonable.
04 · Bake
60–65 min
Use: Batter
Fill tin. Bake, shielding the top loosely with foil halfway.
Ready when: Centre probe carries moist crumbs, not raw batter
04 BakeShield the top loosely with foil halfway through baking, leaving room above the rising loaf.
05 · Cool
Until cool
Use: Loaf
Cool in its tin for 1 hour, then turn onto a rack and finish cooling.
Ready when: Slices hold together
05 CoolCool the loaf completely before slicing so the moist crumb holds together.

What to look for

Stage	Look / feel for	Needs attention
Mixing	Banana lumps are fine; batter is thick.	Thin liquid batter.
Doneness	Check the middle beneath the top crust.	A brown surface with a wet centre.

Troubleshooting

If you see this	Likely cause	What to do now	Next time
Wet centre	Excess fruit or insufficient baking.	Continue baking under loose foil.	Weigh peeled fruit; verify the oven.
Tough crumb	Too much mixing after flour.	Serve toasted if useful.	Stop folding when dry patches disappear.
Ragged slices	Loaf is still warm.	Allow more cooling.	Cool fully before cutting.

Vanilla is omitted. Nuts are an optional variation within this family. For banana muffins, portion the banana-bread batter into lined muffin wells about three-quarters full. Begin checking after 18 minutes at the loaf recipe’s temperature; a skewer should emerge without wet batter. For banana-nut muffins, fold up to 75 g chopped walnuts into the banana batter and use the muffin portion guidance.

Ingredient choices & substitutions

Ingredient	Specified type	Brand	Status
Plain Greek yogurt	Thick, unflavoured yogurt	No required brand	Match the ingredient type
All-purpose flour	Ordinary wheat flour	No required brand	Match the ingredient type

Ingredient	Alternative / ratio	Adjust handling	Likely outcome
Plain Greek yogurt	Full-fat sour creamEqual weight	Use at room temperature.	Similar moisture; a richer flavour.
All-purpose flour	Bread flourEqual weight, if necessary	Fold minimally.	Potentially firmer crumb; cake flour is not a direct structural match.

Match the ingredient’s function and weight. See the flour, gluten, yeast and salt guide.

Other approaches to this recipe

McKenney’s revised banana amount is the base. Hamel’s version adds honey and optional jam and uses a longer, cooler bake; its liquids and leavening are not mixed into this formula.

Cook / recipe	Use	What differs
Sally’s Baking · Sally McKenneyMy Favorite Banana Bread	Working base	250 g flour, yogurt and brown sugar; the source documents a reduction in banana after repeat trials.
King Arthur Baking · PJ HamelBanana Bread	Comparison	270 g flour, honey and optional jam; a different moisture balance and bake schedule.

The working ingredients and method form one recipe. Different formulas are compared without averaging their quantities or rise schedules.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Measuring spoons and a marked jug	Use standard measuring spoons for small volumes and a kitchen measuring jug for liquids; eating spoons vary in size.
23 × 13 cm loaf tin	Use an existing pan of the same dimensions, depth and material where possible. A different size changes thickness and cooking time; do not fill a smaller pan with the full batch.
Mixer with paddle or beaters	Use a sturdy spoon and bowl for softened butter mixtures, or a hand mixer. Cream until lighter; do not replace beating with a quick stir.
Cooling rack	Set a clean, cool wire trivet over a tray. Let air reach underneath; a flat plate can trap steam.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Measuring spoons and a marked jug	Use standard measuring spoons for small volumes and a kitchen measuring jug for liquids; eating spoons vary in size.
23 × 13 cm loaf tin	Use an existing pan of the same dimensions, depth and material where possible. A different size changes thickness and cooking time; do not fill a smaller pan with the full batch.
Mixer with paddle or beaters	Use a sturdy spoon and bowl for softened butter mixtures, or a hand mixer. Cream until lighter; do not replace beating with a quick stir.
Cooling rack	Set a clean, cool wire trivet over a tray. Let air reach underneath; a flat plate can trap steam.

Banana bread

Banana bread

Banana bread

Method

01 · Prepare

02 · Cream

03 · Combine

04 · Bake

05 · Cool

What to look for

Troubleshooting

Banana bread

How do I make it?

Get ready

Beat butter and sugar

Mix the batter

Bake

Cool

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

Banana bread at a glance

What you notice	Likely cause	What to do
Wet centre	Excess fruit or insufficient baking.	Continue baking under loose foil. Weigh peeled fruit; verify the oven.
Tough crumb	Too much mixing after flour.	Serve toasted if useful. Stop folding when dry patches disappear.
Ragged slices	Loaf is still warm.	Allow more cooling. Cool fully before cutting.

Formula component	Grams	Flour = 100%
All-purpose flour	250 g	100%
Unsalted butter	115 g	46%
Brown sugar	150 g	60%
Ripe banana	350 g	140%
Plain Greek yogurt	80 g	32%

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
Dry	All-purpose flour	250 g	Plain, not self-raising
Dry	Baking soda	5 mL	Level measure
Dry	Fine salt	1.25 mL	Level measure
Dry	Ground cinnamon	2.5 mL
Batter	Unsalted butter	115 g	Softened
Batter	Brown sugar	150 g
Batter	Large eggs	2	Room temperature
Batter	Ripe banana	350 g	Peeled and mashed
Batter	Plain Greek yogurt	80 g	Room temperature

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
Dry	All-purpose flour	250 g	Plain, not self-raising
Dry	Baking soda	5 mL	Level measure
Dry	Fine salt	1.25 mL	Level measure
Dry	Ground cinnamon	2.5 mL
Batter	Unsalted butter	115 g	Softened
Batter	Brown sugar	150 g
Batter	Large eggs	2	Room temperature
Batter	Ripe banana	350 g	Peeled and mashed
Batter	Plain Greek yogurt	80 g	Room temperature