Classic Banana Bread

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, letting the paper overhang on the two long sides for easy removal.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth, with just a few small lumps. Stir in the melted butter until combined.

Add both brown and granulated sugars to the banana mixture and whisk vigorously for about a minute, until the mixture looks well blended and slightly glossy.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients in two additions, gently folding with a spatula until just a few streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.

Fold in the sour cream or yogurt until the batter is just combined and no white streaks remain. If using, gently fold in the nuts or chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. For a sweet, crackly crust, sprinkle the top with a tablespoon of turbinado sugar.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Start checking at 55 minutes—the bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the very center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.

Place the pan on a wire rack and let the banana bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then, use the parchment paper 'handles' to lift the loaf out and transfer it directly to the rack to cool completely, about 1-2 hours.

For clean slices, wait until the loaf is completely cool before cutting with a serrated knife.