Step 1: Prep and Preheat
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper (leaving overhang on the long sides for easy removal) or thoroughly grease and flour the pan. Set aside.

Step 2: Mash the Bananas
Peel your very ripe bananas and place them in a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the bananas until mostly smooth with just a few small lumps remaining. You should have about 1½ cups of mashed banana. A few chunks are fine and actually add nice texture to the finished bread.

Step 3: Mix in Butter and Sugar
Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the mashed bananas and stir together with a whisk or fork until well combined. Add the sugar and mix thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated. The mixture may look slightly grainy from the sugar—this is normal.

Step 4: Add Egg and Vanilla
Add the beaten egg and vanilla extract to the banana mixture. Whisk everything together until smooth and well combined. The mixture should look cohesive and slightly frothy.

Step 5: Add Baking Soda and Salt
Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the wet mixture. Stir gently to incorporate. You might see some foaming action from the baking soda reacting with the bananas—this is exactly what should happen!

Step 6: Fold in Flour
Add all the flour at once. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the flour into the wet ingredients using a folding motion (bring spatula down the center, across the bottom, and up the side). Mix only until no dry flour streaks remain—the batter should look thick, slightly lumpy, and cohesive. Do not overmix! Overmixing develops gluten and creates tough, dense banana bread. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.

Step 7: Add Optional Mix-Ins
If using chocolate chips, nuts, or spices, gently fold them into the batter now using the same folding motion. Distribute evenly throughout.

Step 8: Bake
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top with your spatula. Tap the pan gently on the counter 2-3 times to release any air bubbles. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden brown, the bread has risen with a nice crack down the center, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter). If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil after 40 minutes.

Step 9: Cool
Remove from the oven and let the banana bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Then, using the parchment overhang or by carefully inverting, remove the bread from the pan and transfer to the wire rack to cool completely. This takes about 30-45 minutes. The bread continues to set as it cools, so resist cutting into it immediately!

Step 10: Slice and Enjoy
Once cooled (or still slightly warm if you can’t wait!), slice the bread into thick slices using a serrated knife. Serve plain, with butter, or however you prefer. Store any leftovers wrapped tightly at room temperature.