Banana Bread

Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more as needed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
1 cup mashed very ripe banana (from about 3 medium bananas)
1/3 cup hot water

Heat the oven to 160°C and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a metal loaf pan with butter; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and chopped nuts in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk together the measured butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs and banana and whisk until smooth.

Add half of the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Add half of the water and stir until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and water, stirring until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake until the bread begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 70 minutes. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn the bread out onto the rack to cool completely.