Ingredients

4 ripe bananas

75 grams neutral oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt (or 3 grams salt)

Pinch of ground cloves

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup of chocolate chips or 170 grams (you can omit if you want banana bread without chocolate chips)

190 grams sugar plus 1 or 2 tablespoons

190 grams flour plus 1 tablespoon

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375℉.

Mash bananas with a potato masher or fork until the mixture becomes creamy and a little lumpy.

Add oil, egg, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Mix with a spoon until well incorporated.

Add flour and mix until just incorporated.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour over the chocolate chips and toss to coat the chips. Then add chocolate chips into the bread mixture and mix until just combined. This ensures the chocolate chips don’t sink to the bottom of the loaf pan.

Pour the batter into a greased and parchment-lined loaf pan. Use a rubber spatula to help you get all the batter off the bowl.

Optional Steps for a beautiful crust and split top:

Dampen the top of the loaf with some water with a spray bottle or a pastry brush. Sprinkle one tablespoon of granulated sugar on top of the loaf—this will create a crunchy top.

Cut the two tablespoons of butter into strips and place down the center to create a steam vent for the bread to split open neatly down the center.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until a cake tester or paring knife comes out clean when you poke the middle of the loaf.

Let the loaf sit for 10 minutes on a wire rack to cool, then remove it from the pan. Remove the parchment paper, and let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack.

How to Serve

Slice and serve. Spread room-temperature butter and a sprinkle of flakey salt on a slice for a moment of Everyday Opulence. Banana bread and loaf cakes are generally better the next day.