The OG quickbread, banana bread has proven its staying power during the pandemic. It’s delicious. It’s much easier than the more ambitious sourdough. And it makes use of pantry ingredients, plus produce that’s past its prime; Steel & Rye executive chef Brendan Joy—who shared this recipe—joins banana bread connoisseurs across America in insisting that brown bananas work best.

Yields 2 8-inch loaves

Banana Bread

Ingredients
8 very ripe bananas
380 grams (3 cups*) all-purpose flour
290 grams (1¼ cups) brown sugar
150 grams (10 tablespoons) butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
10 grams (2 teaspoons) baking soda
8 grams (1½ teaspoons) ground cinnamon
4 grams (3/4 teaspoon) salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped
2 grams (½ teaspoon) ground nutmeg
2 grams (½ teaspoon) ground clove
Oatmeal streusel**

*Volume measurements are approximate; Joy recommends using a kitchen scale.

Instructions
► Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
► Peel and smash bananas with a fork in a separate bowl, leaving a little bit chunky; set aside.
► Add brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and vanilla bean to a medium bowl and mix until well combined.
► Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and clove to another separate medium bowl and mix to combine.
► Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated, but don’t overmix. Fold in the banana.
► Transfer in two equal parts to well-sprayed 8-inch loaf pans. Sprinkle tops with oatmeal streusel.
► Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate and cook until internal temperature reaches 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow breads to rest before removing from the pans.

**Oatmeal Streusel

Ingredients
224 grams (2 sticks) melted butter
200 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
162 grams (1¾ cups) rolled oats
120 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
15 grams (2½ teaspoons) salt

Instructions­­
► Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
► Mix oats, flour, salt, and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Drizzle in melted butter and mix well.
► Spread mixture on a sheet tray. Bake until golden, around 20 minutes, stirring mixture every 8 or so minutes.