Miso Brown Butter Banana Bread
AKA Banana bread 2.0
As always, let’s keep this intro brief! The only thing I’ll say is a quick happy new year - I have checked my crystal ball and can confirm that 2022 is indeed going to be a good year for us all. Fact.
Food-wise, a good way to start the year is by making this delicious loaf cake. It’s a levelled-up version of the banana bread we all know and loved in lockdown but it’s 2022 and we are having a good year so we are making good banana bread. The recipe is still super simple, it just has an extra step which is browning the butter and that takes about five minutes. The result is a tasty treat that is layered with flavour from the sweet banana to the nutty caramelised butter and salty savoury miso. That isn’t to say that this is a savoury cake - it isn’t at all. The miso just adds a layer of flavour that keeps your taste buds really engaged.
Time - 25 mins prep + 1 hr approx
Serves - 8
Skill - Easy
INGREDIENTS
250g approx overripe bananas, mashed (I used two large bananas) plus one sliced in half to garnish
100g caster sugar
100g soft brown sugar
225g Plain flour
125g butter
3 tbsp white miso paste
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 medium eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
2 tbs salted caramel to glaze (optional, but oh so nice)
METHOD
1 - Preheat your oven to 170C/335F and grease and line a 1lb loaf tin. Make brown butter by putting your butter in a pan on medium-high heat. It will melt and then when it starts to foam you’ll know you’re close. You want to see little brown bits at the bottom then you’re there. Be careful it doesn’t go too far and burn! We want brown, not black!
2 - In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with a wooden spoon mix together the sugars, melted butter miso and vanilla paste. Once combined, check the mixture isn’t too hot before you add your eggs (you don’t want scrambled eggs) one at a time mixing well before adding the next. Finally, add in the mashed banana.
3 - Combine your dry ingredients together then add to the wet mixture until it’s just incorporated. You don’t want to overmix and start to work the dough too much.
4 - Pour in the mixture into your prepared loaf tin and top with the two slices of banana then bake for an hour. Check the loaf after an hour with a toothpick and cook for another few minutes before checking it again if the toothpick isn’t coming out clean. It can take up to 1hr 15 depending on your oven but mine was done in exactly an hour. You can also check with a thermometer and for most cakes, the centre should be around 98°C/210°F.
5 - Once cooked, take it out the oven and leave it in the tin for a further half an hour. If using, brush the caramel on top to create a glaze. After half an hour transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Enjoy on its own, drizzled with more caramel or toasted with espresso butter.