Samin Nosrat's previous cookbook, Salt Fat Acid Heat, was a runaway success and ultimately became a Netflix show. But while she was shining professionally, Samin was struggling personally. In her much-anticipated second cookbook, Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love, she shares how food helped her reconnect with community.
sparkling banana bread (Makes one 8 × 8-inch square)
Packed with both mashed and whole bananas, this is my ideal banana bread. To maximize the ratio of the cinnamon-sugar topping to the moist, flavorful interior, I bake it in a cake pan. In the oven, the topping transforms into a sparkling crust that releases wave after wave of cinnamon aroma with each bite.
For the banana bread
- 1-1/2 cups (203g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (6g) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1-1/4 cups (288g) well-mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas; see Note)
- 3/4 packed cup (150g) dark brown sugar
- 2⁄3 cup (140g) neutral oil
- 1⁄3 cup (80g) buttermilk or sour cream, at room temperature
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
For the topping
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 2 very ripe bananas, halved lengthwise
• • •
- Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with a parchment sling and spray the parchment.
- To make the banana bread, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs until evenly combined.
- Stir the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and mix to combine, making sure to incorporate all the dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.
- To make the topping, in a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and flaky salt.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and then let the pan drop from a height of 3 inches onto the countertop a couple times to release any air bubbles that might have gotten trapped inside the batter.
- Sprinkle the topping in a thick, even layer over the batter, then gently place the banana halves, cut-side up, atop the batter, cutting into pieces as needed to make them fit.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted around the halved bananas emerges clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. (Alternatively, leave the cake to cool in the pan and serve it directly from there.)
- Wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.