Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray, or line with parchment paper for easy removal.

In your large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with just a few small chunks remaining. This adds nice texture to the finished bread. Pro tip: Don't overmash – a few lumps are perfect for texture.

Add the melted butter to the mashed bananas and stir until well combined. The mixture should be warm but not hot. Pro tip: Let butter cool for 2-3 minutes after melting to prevent cooking the egg.

Mix in the brown sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract until everything is well incorporated and the mixture looks smooth.

Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the banana mixture and stir gently to distribute.

Add the flour all at once and stir just until the flour disappears. Don't overmix – a few streaks of flour are fine and will incorporate during baking. Pro tip: Overmixing develops gluten and creates tough, dense bread.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. The batter will be thick but spreadable.

Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Pro tip: If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil during the last 15 minutes.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. This prevents the bread from falling apart. Pro tip: Resist the urge to slice immediately – the bread needs time to set.