Rhubarb Banana Bread
Tender rhubarb banana bread with cooked-down rhubarb that holds its place in the loaf and doesn't sink. Spiced with cinnamon and a hit of Chinese five spice, finished with a Turbinado sugar crunch on top.
Equipment
- 9x5 metal loaf pan
- 2-quart saucepan
- Large mixing bowl (for dry ingredients)
- Medium mixing bowl (for wet ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (152.5 g) fresh red rhubarb, sliced into ¼-inch slices
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for table salt or Morton's kosher, use half the volume)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice optional; sub ¼ teaspoon ground cloves + ¼ teaspoon nutmeg if you don't have it
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (115 g) full-fat sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (150 g) mashed ripe bananas about 2 medium
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) Turbinado sugar, for topping
- Cooking spray, for the pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9x5-inch metal loaf pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the long sides to lift the loaf out after baking.
- Put the sliced rhubarb in a 2-quart saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir occasionally until it collapses into a soft, jammy texture, about 9 to 12 minutes. No sugar, no liquid, just rhubarb. Remove from the heat and cool completely. You should end up with about 3/4 cup.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, and Chinese five spice (if using).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, sour cream, vanilla, mashed bananas, and the completely cooled rhubarb.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Whisk gently just until the flour disappears. The batter will be thick. Don't overmix; that's what makes quick breads dense.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the Turbinado sugar evenly over the top.
- Bake at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean or an instant-read thermometer reads 200 to 205°F in the center.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Lift it out using the parchment overhang, then cool completely on the rack before slicing.
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Notes
Bananas: Use the ripest you can find, brown-spotted, soft, fragrant. If yours aren't there yet, place them unpeeled on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes, until the peels turn dark brown.
Frozen bananas: Thaw them, drain off any excess liquid, then mash and use as the recipe calls for. Leave a few chunks for texture instead of mashing to a complete puree.
Rhubarb: Cool the cooked-down rhubarb completely before adding it to the wet mix; warm rhubarb will partially cook the eggs. Frozen rhubarb works too; add it straight to the saucepan in Step 1 without thawing.
Pan: A 9x5 metal loaf pan is ideal. If using glass or ceramic, lower the oven temperature by 25°F and add 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time.
Storage: Wrap tightly and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days. Don't refrigerate; it accelerates starch retrogradation and dries the loaf out faster than the counter does. Freeze whole or sliced for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or 1 to 2 hours on the counter.
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