Gold Medal Flour Banana Nut Bread Recipe
Banana nut bread is a classic comfort food with its moist texture, sweet banana flavour and crunch of nuts. One of the key things to nail when going about making a loaf like this is using high-quality ingredients, and a Gold Medal flour banana nut bread recipe can get right on that.
Gold Medal flour which has been around for over 130 years with its time-tested name and reputation as a brand of trust, consistency and quality throughout the country would be an excellent choice!
The Importance of Using Gold Medal Flour in Baking
For more than a century, Gold Medal has been the flour that’s in every kitchen.
This flour, milled from select grains and sifted several times to be extra-fine, is consistently excellent.
Great for baking: works well in cakes, cookies and breads You can count on the banana nut bread using Gold Medal to always come out with a light, tender crumb and moist texture every time you make it.
Ingredients
Use ripe bananas and good quality ingredients because the key to a moist, flavorful classic banana nut bread is its fruit content. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the Banana Nut Bread:
- 1 ¾ cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (if you like the taste)
- / ½ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream or yoghurt (plain)
- 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- Chopped walnuts or pecans, 1 cup
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Banana Nut Bread
Here is how you can make a baked banana nut bread by using gold medal flour just like this:
The Oven and the Pan:
Preheat your oven to 350F (175C). Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
Mix the Dry Ingredients:
Mix the Gold Medal flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl (if using). Set aside.
Combine the Wet Ingredients:
Combine melted butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Optional: add in vanilla extract and 1/3 cup of sour cream, and stir until smooth.
Add the Bananas:
Then add in the mashed bananas and fold them gently into the rest of your wet ingredients The more ripe your bananas, the sweeter and tastier moist banana bread you will have.
Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients
Add dry ingredients until combined. Do not over mix as this will create a heavy bread.
Fold in the Nuts:
Fold in the chopped walnuts or pecans if using. It, for a delightful crunch, and flavour* nuts.
Bake the Bread:
Spread batter evenly into prepared loaf pan Bake 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
If the top of the bread is getting too brown, tent it with aluminium foil for the last 15 minutes.
Cool and Serve:
Cool the banana nut bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, slice and serve. Serve it non-fat, with a little butter or even a drop of honey.
Tips for Perfecting Your Banana Nut Bread
The recipe itself may be simple, however, there are a few tips that can aid you in making your Gold Medal Flour Banana Nut Bread Recipe the best it can be:
Ripe Bananas: The riper the banana, the better. The more brown spots the bananas have, The sweeter they are and a deeper banana flavour.
Mixing excessively: Mixing too much can result in dense, tough bread. Mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated for a tender crumb.
Include Extra Flavs: While the base recipe is tasty on its own, you can improve it with chocolate chips, coconut flakes or a PB swirl.
Determine if the Bread is Cooked: Ovens differ so always check whether or not a bread has been baked through.
Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the centre of the load and if it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached, you can remove it from the oven.
KEEP THE BREAD: Banana nut bread can be kept for up to three days in a resealable plastic bag on the counter at room temperature. Otherwise, clingwrap and foil the bread securely and freeze for up to two months.
Variations of Banana Nut Bread
Banana nut bread is so versatile that you can make it however your heart (and diet) desires.
Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in place of the Gold Medal flour. Just ensure that the blend has xanthan gum in it, which helps hold the bread together.
Vegan Banana Nut Bread: Use its vegan variation instead which includes replacing the eggs with flax eggs, one tablespoon of ground flaxseed plus three tablespoons of water per egg and using a dairy-free yoghurt or coconut cream in place for souring.
Skinny Banana Nut Bread: cut the sugar with a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup, and apple sauce can be used to swap out most of that butter for something a little leaner.
Chocolate Banana Nut Bread: If you are a chocoholic, in this then add ½ cup of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and stir in chocolate chips with the nuts.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making Banana Nut Bread
No matter how good a recipe is, there are just some mistakes that can be made along the way and these kinds of slip-ups could transform your banana bread from golden goodness too, well Not quite as appetizing! What are some traps that developers often fall into?
Under-Ripe Bananas: You need the bananas to be ripe, as they provide natural sweetness, while an under-ripe one just won’t get the job done and moisture.
Baking too long: A loaf that is overbaked will be dry and crumbly. Check the bread at 40 minutes, and 50 to ensure it’s done; since ovens vary with the toothpick test.
Improper Measuring: Especially with flour, accurate measurements are vital. Spoon the flour into a measuring cup or use a kitchen scale.
Not Cooling: Letting the bread cool a bit in the pan is important so it can set, making cutting much easier. Quickly doing so will make it crumble when you put it onto the bread.
FAQs
What makes Gold Medal flour ideal for baking banana nut bread?
Milled from 100% American wheat, Gold Medal flour is recognized by bakers for its reliable performance and produces a dough that scores your bread beautifully.
During processing, it is sifted many times to be easily stirred into batters and doughs along with being a consistent choice when considering what flour goes best for banana nut bread.
Can I substitute Gold Medal flour with another type of flour?
If you cannot find Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour, please feel free to substitute it with any of your claiming all-purpose flour.
But this can result in a difference in end texture by just a tiny bit. You can use whole wheat flour for specific dietary needs resulting in a denser bread or you can substitute with a gluten-free blend depending on your choice.
How can I keep my banana nut bread moist?
The rest is making sure to use ripe bananas and not overbaking so the banana nut bread will be nice and moist.
By adding sour cream or yoghurt to the batter, you are also increasing its moisture-always store this zucchini bread in an airtight container as well; keeping it at room temperature will help with shelf life and quality of texture.
Can I add different types of nuts to the banana bread?
Absolutely. Although, you are welcome to use any of your favourite nuts such as walnuts or pecans feel free to test out almonds hazelnuts and macadamia. Just make sure the nuts are chopped and spread out equally in the batter.
Is it possible to make banana nut bread without butter?
These sweet rolls were made with butter, sure but you can use some kind of fat (butter or not) If you must.
For a lower-fat alternative, use pureed fruit (e.g. apple sauce or yoghurt) to replace some of the butter the final product might be slightly moister than if you used all butter.
Conclusion
Whether you follow the classic recipe or throw in your touches, it’s going to be this banana nut bread that will become a staple of her baking repertoire. Just make sure you use ripe bananas, don’t overmix and carefully bake it to perfection every time.