Brown Butter Banana Bread

Four overripe bananas and brown butter. The loaf that actually improves every day for three days. Tested 14 times to get the crumb right.

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 175C. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

2. 2

   Brown the butter: melt in a light-coloured pan over medium heat, swirling constantly, until it smells nutty and the milk solids turn deep amber. Pour into a bowl and let cool slightly.

3. 3

   Whisk brown butter with both sugars. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Stir in mashed bananas.

4. 4

   Fold in flour, baking soda, and salt just until combined — a few streaks are fine. Overmixing makes it dense.

5. 5

   Fold in walnuts if using. Pour into prepared pan.

6. 6

   Bake 60-70 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. The top should be deep brown and cracked.

7. 7

   Cool in pan 10 minutes, then on a rack for at least 1 hour. Better the next day. Will keep 3 days at room temperature.