Netty's Cooking from Scratch Bayler's Favorite Banana Nut Bread (Gluten and Lactose-Free)

One of Bayler’s favorites is his mama’s banana nut bread, and when he and I married, one of the first things his mother, Stella, gave me was the family’s recipe. It really made me feel like part of the family. “The first thing you’ll need,” I remember her saying, “is two heavy bread loaf pans. The heavy pans hold the heat and bake evenly, so the bread just comes out better”, she explained. It took me a few days to find some, but I have used them repeatedly, and getting good ones has made a difference.

• 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus some to coat the inside of the greased loaf pans)
• 3 tsp baking soda
• 6 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter at room temperature
• Lard or shortening to prepare the Loaf pans
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• ½ cup sour cream

Generously grease the sides of the pans with lard (or shortening) and then lightly flour the pans with flour to prevent the Bread from sticking. Set them aside and begin mixing the dough. Crack the eggs into a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup to prevent pieces of egg shell from falling into the mix, then whisk them together. Cream together the Eggs, Crisco, and brown sugar. Most recipes use white or bleached sugar, leaving the bread somewhat dry, so I switched to dark brown sugar, which helps to add moisture. Personally, I think it makes the bread taste better, too.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set them aside.
The recipe makes allowances for many options, depending on your choice. For Banana Nut Bread, peel and mash together 3 cups of ripe bananas until the mix stirs easily. I’ve never left out the nuts, and they can be substituted for walnuts, but nuts aren’t required.

Add the fruit to the creamed mixture and blend well on low speed. Next, slowly add the dry mix to the mixture, and once all the mix is combined, increase the speed to medium to blend well. The last step is to add the nuts, mix them in just enough for an even distribution, and then turn off the mixer. Take the bowl to the bread pans and divide the dough evenly, spreading it out evenly.

Make a depression in the top of the dough down the center to help make a loaf shape and help it to rise evenly. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes. Insert a butter knife into the center of the loaf (longer bake time might be needed). If it comes out clean, remove it and let the bread loaf cool. Cover the top of the loaf with a clean cloth, and turn the bread pans upside down, dropping the bread into the cloth, then turn them right side up on a wire cooling rack.But trust me, the bread is best served warm with butter