Why I Keep Making This at Dawn
It’s 6:30 a.m., the light barely filters through the window. I’m standing in my kitchen, inhaling the faint smell of melting strawberry jam on the stove. I wasn’t planning on baking today. Honestly, I was supposed to sleep in. But when a bruised banana turns black on my countertop, I hear it whisper—>”Use me.” What hits me is how the fresh essence of strawberries turns into a sweet, almost tangy aroma that blends with the warm smell of baking bread. No fancy ingredients, no fuss—just a moment of remembering that life’s best surprises hide in plain sight. It’s more than a bread. It’s about chasing those small bursts of flavor that remind me to keep improvising, even when I think I’ve seen it all.
Strawberry Banana Bread
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it with butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together until evenly blended and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Add the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract, then whisk until well combined. Stir in the chopped strawberries gently.2 cups all-purpose flour
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold together just until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix; the batter will be slightly lumpy.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Maybe I’ll keep forgetting how good this feels. Or maybe I’ll just keep doing it because it sticks, like that first bite into a slice. No grand epiphanies, just a quiet nudge to pay attention to what’s already there. Sometimes, that’s enough.