Classic Banana Bread (Breadmaker Method)

1. Peel and mash the bananas thoroughly in a bowl until smooth with only a few small lumps remaining. The riper and spottier the bananas, the sweeter and more flavourful the bread.

2. Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. Beat the eggs. Combine the mashed banana, melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract (if using) together in a bowl and mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the breadmaker pan first, then spoon the dry ingredients on top. This layering method helps avoid flour pockets and works well with most breadmaker programmes.

5. Insert the pan into your Tefal or Delices breadmaker and select the 'Cake' programme (sometimes labelled 'Ultra Fast', 'Quick Bread', or 'Bake Only' depending on your model — check your manual). If your machine has a 1kg loaf setting, use that.

6. Start the programme. The machine will mix, then bake — this usually takes around 60–70 minutes total depending on your model. Do not open the lid during baking.

7. Once the programme completes, use a skewer or cocktail stick inserted into the centre to check doneness — it should come out clean. If not, run the Bake Only programme for a further 10 minutes.

8. Carefully lift the pan out using oven gloves, and turn the loaf out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 20–30 minutes before slicing — this helps the texture set and makes it much easier to cut.