Banana Buttermilk Bread (Act III)

Our third Banana Buttermilk Bread in as many weeks! We're extremely addicted to the stuff, I must say. The other two recipes - Banana Buttermilk Bread and Banana Buttermilk Bread (Act II) - turned out so well I just had to make another delicious loaf.

There is a slight variation to this loaf as well. I love experimenting in the kitchen (and maybe next time I'll try adding oats and honey to it and see what happens. Who knows!) It's more akin to the first loaf instead of the second. In this one brown sugar is used instead of white sugar. I was curious how the molasses in the brown sugar would add to the moisture and complexity of flavor of this quick bread.

And how did it fare? Fantastic! Spectacular!

It's slightly moister than the original and not as dense as the second, and I think you'll find the molasses adds that wonderful little hint of something-something you've been looking for all your life.

So run to your kitchen, turn on the oven, and start savoring this bread, as I do, for breakfast, dessert, and as a snack. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2/3 cup unpacked brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large extra ripe bananas)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions

1. Grease (I used a tad of butter) a 9x5 loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, cream the sugar and butter until smooth.
3. Add beaten eggs, lemon juice, and buttermilk and stir to incorporate.
4. Stir the banana mash into the wet mixture and mix well.
5. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
7. Gradually add to the wet mixture in small amounts until fully incorporated. Do not overmix.
8. Place the banana bread batter in a greased baking pan and bake for 1 hour.

**To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf 5 minutes before baking time is over. When the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done. You can also visually check if the bread is done by looking for a nice medium brown color and also checking that the banana bread has pulled away from the edges of the baking pan.