Baking Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare the pan by lining an 8x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing some excess to hang over the sides. Spray the inside with cooking spray. If you're using nuts, toast 1/2 cup of chopped nuts in the oven for about 10 minutes while it preheats.
• Melt the 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter with 1 cup of granulated sugar and whisk until mixed well. For a fluffier banana bread, you can soften the butter instead of melting it and cream it with the sugar using a stand mixer.
• Add the 2 large eggs to the bowl and whisk everything together until the mixture is smooth.
• Incorporate 1/4 cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into the batter by whisking them in.
• Peel and add the 3 very ripe bananas to the mixture. Mash them into the batter using a whisk or a dinner fork. You can choose to leave them chunky or mash until smooth, depending on your preference. For entirely smooth banana bread, mash the bananas separately and then whisk them into the batter.
• Next, add 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt to the bowl. Switch to a spatula and gently mix everything until no dry flour remains.
• If you're using them, sprinkle in the toasted nuts or 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and fold them into the batter gently.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, using the spatula to scrape out all of the mixture and smooth the top.
• Bake for 50 to 65 minutes, until the top is dark brown with some yellow visible and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Start checking for doneness at 50 minutes and continue checking every 5 minutes.
• Once baked, let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes to help it set and make removal easier.
• Using the parchment paper overhang, lift the loaf from the pan and set it on the cooling rack. Allow it to cool for another 10 minutes before slicing.