📖 Instructions

1. Preheat your oven and prepare the loaf pan: First things first, turn your oven on to 350°F (175°C). Then, lightly grease a 9x5 inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. If you want to make sure it doesn't stick at all, you can also dust it with a little flour after greasing. Set it aside, ready to go.
2. Mash the bananas: Grab those wonderfully ripe, spotty bananas! Peel them and place them in a large mixing bowl. Use a fork or a potato masher to mash them until they are mostly smooth with a few small lumps. We want some texture, but no big chunks. This usually takes about 1-2 minutes.
3. Combine wet ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add the melted unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and the large egg. Stir these together well with a whisk or spatula until everything is smoothly combined and the mixture looks creamy. Don't worry if it's not perfectly uniform, a little imperfection is just fine!
4. Add the flavor extracts: Pour in the vanilla extract and the milk. Give it another good stir to ensure these liquids are fully incorporated into your banana mixture. The vanilla is really going to deepen that sweet aroma.
5. Sift and mix dry ingredients: In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and allspice. Sifting isn't strictly necessary but it helps prevent lumps and aerates the flour, making for a lighter bread. This step takes about 30-45 seconds.
6. Gently combine wet and dry: Now, slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet banana mixture. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold them together until *just* combined. And here’s a crucial tip: stop mixing as soon as you don’t see any more dry streaks of flour. Overmixing is the enemy of tender banana bread, remember?
7. Pour into the loaf pan: Carefully pour the batter into your prepared 9x5 inch loaf pan. Use your spatula to spread it evenly. It will look glorious and smell amazing even now!
8. Add the sugary topping: This is where the 'sugar' in 'sugar bread' really shines! Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar evenly over the top of the batter in the pan. This will create a lovely, slightly crispy crust once baked.
9. Bake to golden perfection: Place the loaf pan into your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
10. Cooling process: Once baked, remove the loaf pan from the oven. Let the banana bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes. This allows it to set up properly and prevents it from crumbling when you remove it.
11. Remove and cool completely: After the initial cooling, carefully invert the pan to release the bread onto the wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing and serving. I know, it's hard to wait when it smells so good, but trust me, it tastes even better when fully cooled! This cooling ensures it's moist and easy to cut.