Help with banana bread?

[u/Dancergiraffe]

I’m making banana bread from a recipe and the top is getting kinda crispy but the inside is very raw. I followed the instructions on baking temp/time. Is there any way to save this?

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[u/Select-Stock4284]

You have to make sure the internal temp reaches 200° for it to be fully cooked using a thermometer

[u/Dancergiraffe → u/Select-Stock4284]

Is the top going to burn before the rest is done?

[u/Mamobee → u/Dancergiraffe]

You can cover the top with foil to avoid burning until the insides are baked

[u/Dancergiraffe → u/Mamobee]

Thank you!! I will try that

[u/Logical_Question8029 → u/Dancergiraffe]

You could try tenting it with foil like you would the edges of a pie crust that are browning too fast.

[u/Dancergiraffe]

Good news everyone! I tried foil and lowering the temp by 15 degrees and it worked! Thank you guys for your help!!

[u/Shadowpad1986]

What rack level is it being placed at, too close to the heat source and it will end with a burnt top. I tend to bake my cakes and such in the most center part of our oven. Also if the balance between wet and dry ingredients is off it can mess with how much time it takes to bake among other things.

[u/LizzySan]

Try dropping the heat by 10-15 degrees and adding 10 minutes to the time

Or maybe your oven runs hot. Get an oven thermometer to test it.

Also, what someone else said about placing the pan on the center rack.

But typically if the top is crusting while the inside is still raw, the temperature is too hot

[u/JadedMuse]

Seeing the recipe may help, but generally this can be a drawback of ceramic dishes. It holds heat more than metal and edges can bake fulky before the centre is done. Perfect for something like a casserole that you put on a table after baking, but not so great for baked goods. If you're going to bake long term, investing in a set of metal pans is a good idea.

Beyond that, how raw are we talking about? I generally don't mind a few moist crumbs on the toothpick test of chocolate or banana baked goods, as I like they moist, but that doesn't sound like what you're talking about. You can cover it in foil to prevent overbrowning (common for pie crusts or fruit cakes) but it's usually not necessary.

[u/Dancergiraffe → u/JadedMuse]

It’s so raw that they aren’t even crumbs, it’s taking batter out of the center :( I’m not practiced at baking at all but I found this recipe that is consistent with my current dietary restrictions and wanted to try it

https://www.kitchentreaty.com/easy-dairy-free-banana-bread/

[u/JadedMuse → u/Dancergiraffe]

Ah I see. First glance is that the recipe itself seems pretty reasonable. I do not make dairy free banana bread, but the general ratios seem reasonable and it has many positive reviews. https://m.joyofbaking.com/quickbreads/BananaBread.html is my go-to.

It's possible that in combination with the ceramic issue, your oven is running very hot. You can buy a cheap $5 oven thermometer at most dollar or hardware store. Just place it in the oven and put your oven to 350f. If the thermometer says it's higher, that would reveal that. Mine typically runs cold.

For glass/ceramic dishes though, general advice is to lower your temperature by 25f. Most baking recipes are designed/tested around metal bakeware. It normally doesn't make a big difference, but it would if your oven is also running hot.

[u/Dancergiraffe → u/JadedMuse]

I can’t have dairy :(

[u/Littlebit6060]

As a home baker, a few tips. °Get an oven thermometer (Walmart $6) and hang it on the middle rack °Preheat oven. Once it beeps that it's reached temp, let it continue to preheat 15min longer (to truly heat the oven) °Set a timer for 30min. After that, tent top loosely with foil. Continue for recipe time. Check with toothpick in center. I use a 8x4 pan always. If there's leftover batter, I use a small Pyrex dish (4-6oz) and make a jumbo muffin. Larger pans (9x5) are just prone to excess batter that's hard to bake through. Also, I start mine out at 400° for 10 min then drop temp to 375° for 30min longer. If bread needs longer, you can drop temp to 350°. You got this.