Recipe Review: Flour's Famous Banana Bread

Source: Food Network

I still love this banana bread even after making it over and over these past three or so years. I have no desire to try any other recipe. This is tried and true for me. When pondering what I had to say about this bread I began thinking more about baking.

The ingredients:

From top clockwise: granulated sugar, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour

From  right: baking soda, cinnamon, salt

When chatting about cooking, a question that often comes up is, "Are you flinger or a measurer?" Or paraphrased, the question becomes, "Can you bake?" A general observation I have made is that flingers tend to be people who have difficulty focusing on the details, they are just not interested. Flingers do not do well with authority: even recipe directions can make flingers feel like they are bossed around.

Bakers (or measures who do not bake, for that matter) have a perfectionist streak tempered with perseverance. I admire the perseverance it takes to become a decent, consistent baker. I think bakers secretly want approval. Why else would they create foods that make most of us feel so warm and fuzzy on the inside? Plus, have you seen how much people's faces light up when you mention you can bake a really good pie?

I embrace qualities of both flingers and measurers. I think like many cooks, transitions between the two are fluid and contextual. I certainly do my share of flinging, especially when it comes to flavoring my dishes. I will use a garlic mountain because it is so attractive without batting an eye or throw whatever spices from my pantry sound appealing into the pot. On the other hand, I can follow someone else's directions even though I do have trouble now and then. I have some of the perseverance of a baker. I will make a tasty dish over and over just to get the seasonings exactly the way I imagine or to adjust minor details.

While I love sharing my home-made baked goods with friends, whether it is deserts or bread, I almost always bake for myself. I love the process of baking: the measuring, the mixing, filling the apartment with warm, delicious scents, and even the waiting. I feel accomplished when I look at the original ingredients I started with then transformed into bread. There are times when this alchemy does not create golden brown morsels. I never consider this complete failure, it is one of the perils of experimenting with ingredients.

Additional thoughts on this particular banana bread recipe:

• I have never added the creme fraiche or sour cream and my bread seems to turn out just fine.
• I usually reduce the amount of sugar to about 1/2 cup. I love super sweet breads but I find that this is also pleasant.
• I enjoy using a mix of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Using only all-purpose flour results in a very smooth texture. I am fond of the nutty, slightly grainy texture of whole wheat. Perhaps, whole wheat pastry flour would result in a smoother crumb but I have not yet tried that. I would suggest using a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose. When I tried making a loaf of bread with just whole wheat flour and my bread was a leaden disaster. I am definitely open to suggestions and tips.
• My favorite way to mash bananas is to use a potato masher. It is a multi-use tool!