Classic family recipe — solid starting point
The classic quick loaf, perfected over three bakes. Simple enough for a weekday morning, good enough to share. See how a few small changes made it dramatically better.
Preheat oven to 180°C fan. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper.
Mash the bananas thoroughly in a large bowl until mostly smooth — a few lumps are fine.
Add the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix — a few streaks of flour are fine.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
Bake for 55–65 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if the top is browning too fast.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Best eaten slightly warm.