Aluminum Foil Is The Secret To Wonderfully Moist Banana Bread

As long as there are bananas that become overripe, banana bread will never go out of style. It's one of life's truths. However, if getting this bread just right so the crumb is soft and moist has ever been a challenge, you should consider adding a step to the baking process that only requires using aluminum foil. And if you've ever experienced over-browning when baking banana bread this trick is also for you. Simply cover your loaf with a sheet of foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.

You don't want the aluminum wrap to be tight or your banana bread won't bake properly. You will trap in too much steam and it will be undercooked. Instead, keep it loose so the warm air can continue circulating as it bakes, while still creating a slightly steamy atmosphere that helps lock in the moisture and prevent overbrowning. The end result is a loaf of banana bread that isn't dry and is baked to perfection. 

Why does this extra step have such a huge impact on your banana bread and its overall texture? Aluminum foil's superpower is that it is designed to reflect heat. This stops overcooking or baking in its tracks, which is exactly what happens when your banana bread turns out to have a hard, overly dark, burnt top. It's an important factor to keep in mind because banana bread has a rather long cooking time that can range from an hour to an hour and a half depending on your recipe, and can easily dry out on the outside as it bakes.

What you will appreciate about this thin layer of metal food wrap is once you've mastered this foil trick for your banana bread, you can use it on any other baked breads, like pumpkin, blueberry, or zucchini bread. It will stop over-browning around the edges and on top before it even happens. Instead, you'll have perfectly moist baked sweet loaves every time.