Banana Bliss Bread with Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it reaches an even temperature before baking. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray to prevent sticking.

2. Mix Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl, mash the peeled bananas coarsely with a fork, leaving some chunks for texture. Add the melted butter, Greek yogurt, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk these wet ingredients together until they are well blended, creating a smooth and consistent mixture.

3. Combine Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. This step ensures that the baking soda and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour, which is crucial for even rising and flavor.

4. Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients

Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; you should aim for a uniform batter without any dry pockets, but overmixing can make the bread dense. Fold in the finely chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips and the toasted nuts if you're using them.

5. Pour Batter into Pan

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly. If you like, you can sprinkle the top generously with coarse sanding or turbinado sugar for a delightful crunch.

6. Bake the Bread

Bake the loaf in the preheated oven for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. This tells you the bread is fully baked but still moist.

7. Cool the Bread

Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully unmold it and let it cool completely on a wire rack. This final cooling step ensures that the bread sets properly and slices cleanly.