House Banana Bread

There are mornings when time feels unhurried.
The kind that calls for butter softening on the counter, the scrape of a spoon against glass, and the weight of something simple to make.
That’s when I bake this — my banana bread!
It’s not a reinvention. Just the one that works, the one I could make without thinking, even in someone else’s kitchen.

What You’ll Need

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened

• ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• ⅓ cup (80g) plain yogurt or sour cream

• 1½ cups (345g) mashed ripe bananas — about 3 or 4

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• (Optional) ¾ cup (90g) chopped walnuts or pecans, or 1 cup (180g) chocolate chips

How I Make It

1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan like you’re sure of it.

2. In one bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

3. In another, beat butter and brown sugar until they soften into each other — about three minutes of steady rhythm.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in yogurt, vanilla, and those bananas you meant to use last week.

5. Combine the dry with the wet, gently. Stop before it looks perfect.

6. Fold in nuts or chocolate if you want something to surprise you later.

7. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 60–65 minutes. If the top browns too fast, give it a loose foil cover halfway through.

8. A toothpick through the centre should come out mostly clean. That’s your cue.

9. Let it rest in the pan for an hour before setting it free.

To Keep It (If You Can)

• At room temperature: 3 days

• In the fridge: 1 week

This bread doesn’t ask for applause.
It just shows up, golden and generous, filling the room with the smell of proof that ordinary things still work!