Our ideal banana bread is simple enough—a moist, tender loaf that really tastes like bananas. We discovered that doubling the dose of bananas in our favorite test recipe was both a blessing and a curse. The abundance of fruit makes for intense banana flavor, but the weight and moisture makes the loaf very heavy. Looking to add banana flavor without moisture, we place our bananas in a glass bowl and microwave them for a few minutes, then transfer the fruit to a strainer to drain. We simmer the exuded banana liquid in a saucepan until it is reduced, then incorporate it into the batter.