Listen, I know with the unprecedented heat wave and all, it’s not really “baking season,” but as a baker, sometimes baking just kind of happens to us, and we don’t really have a choice in it.

This was exactly the case for me this week when I got a text from my friend Emily asking me if I wanted her overripe bananas to turn into banana bread. I said yes without thinking about it and, for the next three days, watched as the bananas got darker and darker on my kitchen counter, biding my time in hopes of a cooler day before turning on the oven.

Finally, an unexpectedly rainy Sunday morning came our way, and I knew it was my time to strike while the weather was on my side! And let’s be honest, there’s never really a bad season to enjoy a slice of warm banana bread with a cup of coffee, so I’m grateful to Emily for giving me a reason to whip this one up.

I’ve had my eye on baker Selena Valentina’s “Salted Maple Banana Bread” for a few weeks now. I was saving it for the fall, so I was thrilled I didn’t have to test my patience any further! Selena runs a microbakery out of her home and sells her goods at the farmers market in Richmond, Virginia. She said this banana bread sells out every single week, and folks have even driven from out of town just to procure a loaf from her. Selena was gracious enough to share her recipe online, and it went viral, with people calling it “the world’s best banana bread,” so, of course, I was intrigued.

At first glance, it just looked like a normal banana bread recipe, but Selena finishes the loaf by drizzling maple syrup on it while it is still piping hot out of the oven and then sprinkles it generously with flaky sea salt. The maple syrup seeps into the loaf a bit and creates a delicious crust over the top of the bread while keeping the crumb perfectly moist, and the flaky salt brings all the flavors of the bread to life! I’m not gonna lie, this really was one of the best banana breads I’ve ever had, let alone baked myself, and it will likely be my go-to recipe moving forward.

This recipe is relatively straightforward, but I did pause when I saw it called for buttermilk. Maybe it’s not very Southern of me, but I don’t usually keep buttermilk on hand – I only buy it if I plan to make biscuits. I think we have all heard of the trick where you add a bit of lemon juice or vinegar to milk to mimic buttermilk in a pinch, but I was reminded recently that that isn’t really a great substitution because, ultimately, buttermilk is a cultured product. This means it contains live lactic acid bacteria that is not only beneficial for our gut microbiome but also has that unmistakable tang that adds a lot of flavor to baked goods. When we mix lemon juice or vinegar into milk, we are ultimately just making … curdled milk. So this time, I mixed Greek yogurt, which is also a cultured product, into milk until it had the same consistency as buttermilk, and it worked perfectly.

This banana bread was gone as quickly as I made it because I figured since it only came to be because a friend shared with me, it was only right to share the final product with friends. However, Selena noted that this loaf is even better on Day Two, so if you make it yourself, make sure to save a bit to see if this could possibly be true because it was darn delicious on Day One! I know we’re in the thick of summer right now, and you may not want to turn on the oven, but even if you don’t make this now, definitely save the recipe and make it in the fall when the weather cools down because it may really be “the world’s best banana bread!”

SALTED MAPLE BANANA BREAD

(Recipe adapted from Selena Valentina)
Yield: One 13-by-5-inch loaf

Ingredients:
170 grams salted butter, softened
223 grams dark brown sugar
72 grams cane sugar
340 grams mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
2 eggs
6 grams vanilla bean paste
6 grams molasses
250 grams all-purpose flour
5 grams baking soda
5 grams kosher salt
45 grams Greek yogurt
70 grams whole milk (or any plant-based milk)

To finish:
2 ounces Grade A maple syrup
Flaky sea salt

Directions:
■ Preheat the oven to 325 F.
■ Cream the softened butter and both sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 to 5 minutes.
■ Add the mashed bananas and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
■ Add the eggs, vanilla bean paste and molasses, and mix again. (The mixture is going to split! Don’t worry – it will all come back together once you add the dry ingredients!)
■ In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
■ Combine the wet and dry ingredients, carefully folding together until just combined.
■ In a small measuring cup, combine the Greek yogurt and milk and whisk until it reaches the consistency of buttermilk.
■ Add the Greek yogurt and milk mixture to the batter, half at a time. (Stop after adding half if the batter looks too runny. All bananas have different moisture levels, so you may not need all of the milk mixture.)
■ Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined 13-by-5-inch loaf pan.
■ Bake for 50 to 75 minutes, until deeply golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (If the loaf is getting too dark before the middle is fully set, cover gently with foil.)
■ Remove the loaf from the oven and immediately drizzle the maple syrup over the top. (It will absorb quickly, so work in sections!)
■ Top generously with flaky sea salt and allow to cool on a wire rack.
■ Slice and enjoy!

Kristin is a Columbus local and a graduate of MUW’s Culinary Arts Program. She lives downtown with her husband Jon and her naughty cat Sokka. In her free time she enjoys baking, making stained glass art and hanging out with her friends. If you see her in town, say hi!