Best-Ever Banana Bread

Best-Ever Banana Bread


1 ¼ cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 ½ cup mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

1. Hear oven to 350*F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans or
(9x5-inch) loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix sugar and butter. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk
and vanilla; beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Stir
in flour, baking soda and nuts just until moistened. Pour batter into
pans.

3. Bake 8-inch loaves 1 hour, 9-inch loaf 1 ¼ hours, or until
toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen
sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool about
an hour before slicing.

2 loaves (16 slices)


High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Increase flour to 2 ¾ cups.
In step 1, heat oven to 375*F In step 2, add ¼ cup water with
buttermilk. Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour 5 minutes, 9-inch loaf about
1 hour 30 minutes