Betsy's Banana Bread

My friend Betsy, a baker at Cavallo Point, makes the best banana bread I've ever had.  I pleaded for her recipe, and it turns out she uses one from Saveur!

I made two batches last week so I could send my father-in-law home with a loaf.  I'm proud to say it turned out just like Betsy's, probably because I've finally started observing her crucial rule of baking: you have to do exactly what the directions say.

The kids ate their slices diced into little cubes. 

Betsy's Banana Bread (from Saveur)
Serves 6 – 8

Butter, for greasing pan
1 cup flour, plus more for pan
3⁄4 tsp. baking soda
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup canola oil
1⁄3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2⁄3 cup chopped pecans
3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1. Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 9" x 5" x 2 3⁄4" loaf pan with butter and dust with flour; set pan aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. Whisk together sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Add pecans and mashed bananas and whisk gently to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean, 60–65 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.