Moist and delish, Lindy's 1970s Banana Bread is a classic banana bread; as made in the olden days.
The making of Lindy's 1970s Banana Bread
This recipe for Lindy's 1970s Banana Bread is a banana bread that I have made for years. Well, at least since the 1970s. And even, after all those years of new recipes for banana bread, this one is still very good and very moist.
The original recipe was given to me by my friend Ellen who's banana bread I really enjoyed. She got the recipe from her mother. Don't you just love recipes that are handed down?
Use super-ripe bananas for best results.
That particular recipe called for ½ cup of milk to which you stir in a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar in it to make it sour. I guess we didn't want to have to buy a "special" ingredient back in the day. And I guess buttermilk was hard to find so it had to be "replicated". But since I now have buttermilk in the fridge most of the time, I just use that.
If you can't find or don't want to buy buttermilk, go ahead and replicate it with the addition of acid to milk. It's all good.
If your bananas aren't super ripe and sweet, you may want to adjust the sugar, I find that almost black bananas make the best bread.
This banana bread is excellent fresh from the oven. It can also be sliced and popped into the toaster; spread with some butter, or jam, or both. YUM. And it is a perfect snack or quick breakfast on the run.
To store, wrap in plastic wrap, it will stay on the counter for up to 3 days. If it lasts that long.
A word about ovens...
When I first wrote this recipe, my bake time was 1 ¼ hours at 350º. As time has gone on, and ovens advance, I find my cook time is currently about 50 minutes at 350º for this bread to be cooked to perfection. So I advise you to start with 50 minutes, check for doneness and add time as necessary.
Not all ovens cook alike.
Copyright: robynmac / 123RF Stock Photo
Lindy's 1970s Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas 3 to 4 medium
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped nuts optional
Instructions
- Put your oven racks to the bottom third of the oven; heat to 350º F. Grease the bottom of a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan.
- Cream the sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and blend; then add the bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
- Sift or stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the banana mixture and stir until moistened. Stir in the nuts, if using.
- Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely.
- Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate.
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