Reid's Banana Bread
Makes 2 larger loaves, or 4 mini loaves, or one extra-large and two minis 

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
2 cups sugar
6 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
4 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 cups flour 

DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare pans and oven – preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare baking pans by lightly greasing the interior sides of the baking pans. If desired, also line the pans with parchment paper for an absolutely flawless removal from the pan. 

2. Cream the butter and sugar with a hand or stand mixer together in a large bowl. Cream for 3 minutes or until the mixture becomes a little fluffy and slightly lighter in color. 

3. Mash very ripe bananas until fairly smooth in a separate bowl. If the bananas are not totally ripe and easily mashed, puree with a food mill, or food processor. 

4. Add the sour cream to the banana puree, and mix until smooth and uniform. The sour cream will help to keep the bananas from over-browning during the mixing process. 

5. Beat the eggs with a whisk until uniform, but not foamy, and add to the bananas mixture. Add the banana mixture to the creamed butter. 

6. In a large, separate bowl, mix the baking soda and flour together. 

7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with broad strokes. 

8. Pour or spoon the batter into the prepared pans. The batter will be thick. Fill the pans about three- quarters full; this is a dense bread and will rise only slightly. 

9. Bake for 75-85 minutes. Check after one hour, if the tops are browning too quickly, tent the baking pans with a sheet of aluminum foil. 

10. Check for doneness with a cake tester, or a long bamboo skewer. Insert the tester into the middle of the pan. If it comes out with batter on it, bake longer and check in another 7 minutes; if it comes out cleanly, it’s done. 

11. Cool the loaves in their pans for about 10 minutes, but no longer. Remove from pans and continue to cool the loaves on a cooling rack. Once cool enough to handle, slice with your bread knife, and enjoy.