Piesangbrood (South African Banana Bread)
Piesangbrood
A moist, straightforward South African-style banana loaf. Sliced thick and eaten while still a bit steamy, it tasted like slow mornings, shared butter knives, and the kind of comfort that didn't need explaining.
Ingredients
- 280 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 150 g caster or granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 350 g peeled)
- 75 g chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 50 g dark chocolate chips or 50 g crushed pineapple (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Stir in the oil, vanilla and mashed bananas.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in nuts, pineapple or chocolate if using them.
- Pour into the prepared tin, smooth the top and bake for 50–60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs (not raw batter).
- If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
- Cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack before slicing. Also tastes great warm with butter.