Moist Dried Fruit Banana Bread

This British-style banana bread takes a different approach from the standard American loaf. The food processor does the entire job in one pass, which means less washing up and a thoroughly mashed banana base that distributes evenly through the batter.

The banana ratio is the headline. A full pound of soft, ripe bananas, roughly four medium ones, against just 8 ounces of self-rising flour. That’s nearly a 2:1 ratio of fruit to flour, and it’s why this loaf bakes denser and moister than typical recipes that use two or three bananas.

A mix of butter and sunflower oil instead of all butter keeps the loaf tender for days. Butter alone gives flavor but firms the crumb as the loaf cools. The neutral oil keeps it soft.

Self-rising flour is doing the lifting here, with no added baking soda or powder. If you don’t have it, sub plain flour and add 1½ teaspoons baking powder per cup. Skip this and the loaf turns out flat.

Six ounces of mixed dried fruit, currants, sultanas, raisins, peel, gives the loaf little jewels of sweetness throughout, more interesting than a single dried fruit alone.

Kitchen Tips

• Cover the top with foil after 60 minutes if it’s browning too fast. The 90-minute bake time deepens the crust significantly.
• Toss the dried fruit in a tablespoon of flour before adding to prevent sinking to the bottom.
• Soak the dried fruit in warm tea or rum for 30 minutes first for a richer, plumper result.
• Test for doneness with a skewer in the deepest part of the center, not just the top.

Variations

• Add chopped walnuts along with or in place of the dried fruit for crunch.
• Stir in 2 teaspoons mixed spice for a fruitcake-style banana loaf.
• Replace half the dried fruit with chopped dark chocolate for sweet contrast.