Best Ever Banana Bread

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas, very ripe (3 to 4 medium)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

Recipe

• 1 heat oven to 350 degrees. grease bottoms only of 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans or 1 (9x5-inch) loaf pan.
• 2 in large bowl, mix sugar and butter. add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
• 3 stir in flour, baking soda, salt, and nuts just until moistened. pour batter into pans.
• 4 bake 8-inch loaves 1 hour, 9-inch loaf 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. cool 10 minutes. loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans to cooling rack. cool about 1 hour before slicing.
• 5 ****high altitude (3500-6500 feet): increase flour to 2 3/4 cups. in step 1, heat oven to 375 degrees. in step 2, add 1/4 cup water with buttermilk. bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour 5 min, 9-inch loaf about 1 hour 30 minute.