To be very honest with you, I had never heard of hummingbird bread before Pinterest. I was immediately intrigued by the name and headed straight to Google to learn more. A tropical banana bread? Let’s go!

What Is Hummingbird Bread?

In a nutshell, hummingbird bread is a pineapple-banana bread based off of the Southern classic “Hummingbird Cake,” (a pineapple-banana cake). The origins of this treat are based in Jamaica, where it is known as “Dr. Bird Cake” after the scissors-tail hummingbird (locally known as “doctor bird,” the island’s national bird). In 1968, the Jamaica Tourist Board exported the recipe, along with other local Jamaican recipes, in a media press kit with the goal of gaining American interest in visiting the island.

What I Love About This Recipe

This recipe for hummingbird bread has more than just a “sourdough twist.” It is quite different from most hummingbird recipes you’ll find on the internet today. To be honest, I just took the idea and ran with it, incorporating the primary ingredients and overall concepts of the bread, but completely making it my own. Not only did I use my classic cream cheese base (which I use for most of my quick bread recipes), I also packed this recipe with pineapple tidbits (rather than the classic crushed pineapple) and reduced the amount of bananas for a more balanced flavor. It is filled with coconut flakes and crushed pecans for variety in texture and enhanced flavor. While the pineapple cream cheese glaze isn’t necessary, it is a delicious addition that tops everything off perfectly.

All The “Why’s”

Cream Cheese

Most quick breads contain a base made with two sticks of softened butter. Others add yogurt or sour cream. While this can be good, in my opinion, cream cheese is better. Though this recipe still contains butter, which is necessary for moisture retention, cream cheese brings a unique richness, texture, and even more moisture to the final bake. The final, overall flavor and consistency is elevated significantly and the loaf does not dry out as quickly.

Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is used as a sweetener in this quick bread. This means you can increase or reduce the amount to your personal preference. Sugar has other important contributions, too; it aids in browning, tenderizing, moisture retention, and preservation/shelf life. Therefore, I would not recommend removing it completely. The difference between brown sugar and white sugar is molasses. I chose brown sugar because I felt the deep flavors of the molasses compliment the flavors of this bread well. In reality, you can use either (brown or white) and come out with great results.

Butter

While fat can have many purposes in a recipe, one major effect is moisture retention. Without it, the loaf would be dry and crumbly, even with the cream cheese and sugar (which also work to retain moisture). Butter pairs well with the flavors of this dish, and serves just this purpose: to keep the loaf from drying out.

Sourdough Discard

The main purpose of sourdough discard is, well, to use sourdough discard. Unfortunately, the amount I use in this recipe is limited (if you know me, you know I like to use as much as possible in any given recipe), as this bread gets most of its moisture from bananas, eggs, and pineapple juice, leaving little room for the additional moisture from the sourdough discard.

Banana

One struggle that comes with hummingbird bread is balancing the banana and pineapple flavors. The banana tends to be overpowering, and the pineapple non-existent. In this recipe, I use only one, large banana, which is significantly less banana than most recipes, but is plenty of banana to achieve a clear banana flavor that is not overpowering. Be sure to use an overripe banana for best results. Bananas release more moisture as they ripen, which helps balance the overall moisture of the bread.

Eggs

The more eggs you add to your bread, the more cake-like the bread becomes. Eggs add fluff and moisture, as well as make your bread lighter and taller. I find two eggs to be the perfect balance: it is not too cake-like, but is also not too dense.

Pineapple Tidbits

The problem with canned pineapple is that the flavor tends to dissipate during baking. In my testing, I found that the pineapple flavor virtually disappeared from the bread when I used crushed pineapple, but that pineapple tidbits create pockets of pineapple flavor that don’t dissipate. Instead, you get bursts of pineapple in your mouth with each bite, which I found to be an extremely delightful combination that helps to balance out the banana.

All-Purpose Flour

While I do try to eliminate flour in some of my discard recipes, it is not possible with this one. Flour adds necessary structure to an otherwise loose batter. It is important to measure correctly by volume, or just use the weighted measurements instead. Flour is one of the most inaccurate ingredients measured by volume, and too much flour can cause a dry and crumbly loaf.

It is also important to note that all-purpose flour is superior to bread flour in any quick bread recipe. In fact, the lower the protein content, the better. Though I have not tested it, cake flour may even work wonders. The problem is: cake flour is not a staple ingredient in many homes; therefore, I choose not to base a recipe off of it unless it is absolutely necessary. The reason all-purpose flour is important is the same reason we mix this batter until “just incorporated” – gluten development is not desired. The development of gluten produces a chewy texture, which is not desirable in baked goods like this one.

Leavening

This recipe uses a balance of baking powder and baking soda to leaven the bread, rather than the sourdough discard. This means you can bake your bread right away, without waiting for sourdough to do its magic. I prefer chemical leavening for sourdough discard recipes because we are using starter that is not in its prime state, and may not leaven well. While it is true that the addition of flour feeds the yeast, and you may get a slow rise, sourdough-discard-leavened bread has the potential to be more sour, due to the ever populating bacteria (which are responsible for the sour flavor) and still may not rise properly. Not to mention how the other ingredients in this quick bread would hold up during this waiting period, namely the bananas.

If you want to try long fermentation, do it in the refrigerator and wait to add the baking powder and soda until you are ready to bake. While the yeast in your starter will not function well (due to the cold temperatures), the bacteria will still work to break down the flour during this time. Still adding the baking powder and soda ensures you get a loaf that has been appropriately aerated (since the yeast from your discard will not be able to adequately do this on their own).

Cinnamon

The purpose of the cinnamon is simply to spice things up: to enhance and compliment flavors. This warming spice is completely optional, and can be removed or replaced with other warming spices, such as: cardamom, ginger, and cloves.

Salt

Salt brings out flavor. I use just a touch in this recipe to enhance all the flavors in this quick bread.

Inclusions

Both coconut and pecans help to vary the texture and compliment the tropical flavors of this dish. Coconut is not a traditional staple of hummingbird bread, but I felt it suited the banana and pineapple nicely. These inclusions could be replaced, one-for-one, with another mix-in or eliminated altogether, if desired. The base is one cup total of inclusions, but really this is flexible depending on your preference.

Glaze

A cake (remember, “hummingbird bread” was originally “hummingbird cake”) usually includes a frosting, and for hummingbird cake, that is usually a cream cheese frosting. So, this optional glaze mimics this idea, only as a glaze instead of a frosting (for the sake of toning things down). The base for any glaze is powdered sugar (it dissolves easily) and a little bit of moisture to make it a liquid. In this case, I kept with the theme of the bread, using pineapple juice as the liquid over other options, like milk, as well as adding some cream cheese to mimic the flavors of a cream cheese frosting. The result? To die for.

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

I am a chocoholic. I will devour anything and everything chocolate. Chocolate settles my soul. Pair this obsession with a childhood nostalgia, my mother’s banana bread, and the jar of sourdough discard staring me down from my refrigerator, and it only makes sense that this recipe would come. The moment I realized I had extra bananas lying around, I had to bake up something sweet and chocolate-y, with a touch of sourdough discard.

What Is Banana Bread?

If you are not familiar with banana bread, it is a type of sweet, baked quick bread made with overripe, mashed bananas. The bananas provide a natural moisture and sweetness to the bread, though sugar is still usually added to the batter. It is extremely popular in North America, but has become a classic and beloved baked good in many households across the world.

What I Love About This Recipe

This recipe is based off of my original banana bread recipe, which is unique due to the cream cheese base. Adding cream cheese to this batter is similar to using sour cream or yogurt in any quick bread recipe. It makes for an extremely smooth bread with a rich flavor that is able to retain moisture efficiently. I honestly do not know if I could ever not use cream cheese as a quick bread base after realizing just how it transforms the result. Pair this with the deep flavor of cocoa powder, and you have a match made in heaven.

All The “Why’s”

Cream Cheese

Most quick breads contain a base made with two sticks of softened butter. Others add yogurt or sour cream. While this can be good, in my opinion, cream cheese is better. Though this recipe still contains butter, which is necessary for moisture retention, cream cheese brings a unique richness, texture, and even more moisture to the final bake. The final, overall flavor and consistency is elevated significantly and the loaf does not dry out as quickly.

Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is used as a sweetener in this quick bread. This means you can increase or reduce the amount to your personal preference. The difference between brown sugar and white sugar is molasses. I chose brown sugar because I felt the deep flavors of the molasses compliment the chocolate well. In reality, you can use either (brown or white) and come out with great results.

Butter

While fat can have many purposes in a recipe, one major effect is moisture retention. Without it, the loaf would be dry and crumbly. Butter pairs well with the flavors of this dish, and serves just this purpose: to keep the loaf from drying out.

Sourdough Discard

The main purpose of sourdough discard is, well, to use sourdough discard. Unfortunately, the amount I use in this recipe is limited (if you know me, you know I like to use as much as possible in any given recipe), as banana bread gets most of its moisture from bananas (and eggs), leaving little room for the additional moisture from the sourdough discard.

Bananas

Bananas are the star of the show in banana bread; they add moisture, flavor, and sweetness. Ripe bananas are key; I like to use them when they are very dark. As bananas ripen, their starches are converted into sugars and moisture is released, which just means the older, the better. It also means that the time you use the banana in relation to its ripeness will effect the outcome of your bread, creating a wetter or dryer batter.

Eggs

The more eggs you add to your bread, the more cake-like the bread becomes. Eggs add fluff and moisture, as well as make your bread lighter and taller. I find two eggs to be the perfect balance: it is not too cake-like, but is also not too dense.

Flour + Cocoa Powder

These are the main dry ingredients used to bind and flavor the dough. While I do try to eliminate flour in some of my discard recipes, it is not possible with this one. Flour adds necessary structure to an otherwise loose batter. Cocoa powder also works with flour to structure the dough, but also adds a deep chocolate flavor. I like to have a lot of structure in my banana bread, so I use more flour compared to other recipes you can find on the internet. Even still, it is important to measure correctly by volume, or just use the weighted measurements instead. Flour is one of the most inaccurate ingredients measured by volume, and too much flour can cause a dry and crumbly loaf.

It is also important to note that all-purpose flour is superior to bread flour in any quick bread recipe. In fact, the lower the protein content, the better. Though I have not tested it, cake flour may even work wonders. The problem is: cake flour is not a staple ingredient in many homes; therefore, I choose not to base a recipe off of it unless it is absolutely necessary. The reason all-purpose flour is important is the same reason we mix this batter until “just incorporated” – gluten development is not desired. The development of gluten produces a chewy texture, which is not desirable in baked goods, such as banana bread. Banana bread is meant to be moist and tender, with a soft crumb that’s slightly dense but not heavy – meaning we need to eliminate gluten to achieve it.

Leavening

This recipe uses a balance of baking powder and baking soda to leaven the bread, rather than the sourdough discard. This means you can bake your bread right away, without waiting for sourdough to do its magic. I prefer chemical leavening for sourdough discard recipes because we are using starter that is not in its prime state, and may not leaven well. While it is true that the addition of flour feeds the yeast, and you may get a slow rise, sourdough-discard-leavened bread has the potential to be more sour, due to the ever populating bacteria (which are responsible for the sour flavor) and still may not rise properly. Not to mention how the other ingredients in this quick bread would hold up during this waiting period, namely the bananas.

If you want to try long fermentation, do it in the refrigerator and wait to add the baking powder and soda until you are ready to bake. While the yeast in your starter will not function well (due to the cold temperatures), the bacteria will still work to break down the flour during this time. Still adding the baking powder and soda ensures you get a loaf that has been appropriately aerated (since the yeast from your discard will not be able to adequately do this on their own).

Salt

Salt brings out flavor. I use just a touch in this recipe to enhance all the flavors in this quick bread.

Chocolate Chips And Drizzle

This is what makes it double chocolate! Feel free to play around with the inclusions if you have other ideas. For me, though, I’ll be sticking with my dark chocolate.

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

Every time I have extra bananas I present to myself a challenge: what banana bread am I going to conjure up next. One day, this very incident happened as I was drinking my favorite breakfast smoothie: peanut butter, chocolate, banana. That is when it hit me: this combination is my absolute favorite. So, why not make it into a banana bread? I bet that would be delightful! And so, I did.

What Is Banana Bread?

If you are not familiar with banana bread, it is a type of sweet, baked quick bread made with overripe, mashed bananas. The bananas provide a natural moisture and sweetness to the bread, though sugar is still usually added to the batter. It is extremely popular in North America, but has become a classic and beloved baked good in many households across the world.

What I Love About This Recipe

The tricky part here is the peanut butter. Every time you add an ingredient to a recipe, you must consider its effects and balance them appropriately. And, that, my friends, is exactly what I did. This recipe, of course, is based off of my original banana bread recipe, which is a cream cheese-based banana bread. It’s an obsession of mine, banana bread is. Many banana bread recipes I have found online appear unbalanced. The loaves are squat and the crumb just does not appear quite right. They might be too dry or too oily because the effects of each ingredient were not accounted for. This loaf is not that. Here, we have a perfectly moist, structured, and balanced peanut butter banana bread.

All The “Why’s”

Cream Cheese

Most quick breads contain a base made with two sticks of softened butter. Others add yogurt or sour cream. While this can be good, in my opinion, cream cheese is better. Though this recipe still contains butter (and oil, from the peanut butter), which is necessary for moisture retention, cream cheese brings a unique richness, texture, and even more moisture to the final bake. The final, overall flavor and consistency is elevated significantly and the loaf does not dry out as quickly.

Sugar

Sugar is mainly used as a sweetener in this quick bread. This means you can increase or reduce the amount to your personal preference. The sugar in this recipe is reduced from my original banana bread recipe, purely for personal preference, after realizing just how much sugar my original recipe contains (an entire cup). Sugar has other important contributions, too; it aids in browning, tenderizing, moisture retention, and preservation/shelf life. Therefore, I would not recommend removing it completely. If, though, your peanut butter is sweetened (I use “no sugar added” peanut butter, but not everyone does), definitely be mindful of the sugar content and adjust to suit your preferences.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is one of the main flavor goals in this recipe. With it, we must consider the effects it has on the batter and on the final baked product. The addition of peanut butter adds two things: oil and peanuts (which function like flour in the way that they bind the recipe together and create structure in the final baked product). To keep things balanced, these factors must be considered. Compared to my original banana bread recipe, this recipe reduces the overall amount of added fat (butter, in this case) by half to accommodate for the oil in the added peanut butter. It also reduces the amount of added flour significantly to keep the right consistency of batter and to prevent the loaf from becoming too dry.

Butter And Oil

While fat can have many purposes in a recipe, one major effect is moisture retention. Without it, the loaf would be dry and crumbly, even with the cream cheese and sugar (which also work to retain moisture). This recipe contains two tablespoons of butter, which works together with the added oil from the peanut butter to give the loaf just the right amount of moisture and balance of flavor.

Sourdough Discard

The main purpose of sourdough discard is, well, to use sourdough discard. Unfortunately, the amount I use in this recipe is limited (if you know me, you know I like to use as much as possible in any given recipe), as banana bread gets most of its moisture from bananas and eggs, leaving little room for the additional moisture from the sourdough discard.

Bananas

Bananas are another main flavor component of this recipe, as well as the star of the show in banana bread in general. They add moisture, flavor, and sweetness. Ripe bananas are key; I like to use them when they are very dark. As bananas ripen, their starches are converted into sugars and moisture is released, which just means the older, the better. It also means that the time you use the banana in relation to its ripeness will affect the outcome of your bread, creating a wetter or dryer batter.

Eggs

The more eggs you add to your bread, the more cake-like the bread becomes. Eggs add fluff and moisture, as well as make your bread lighter and taller. I find two eggs to be the perfect balance: it is not too cake-like, but is also not too dense.

All-Purpose Flour

While I do try to eliminate flour in some of my discard recipes, it is not possible with this one. Flour adds necessary structure to an otherwise loose batter. In this banana bread recipe, I use less flour than usual. This is because the ground peanuts in the peanut butter also provide structure and suck away at moisture, so it is not essential to include as much flour as I usually do. This being said, it is important to measure correctly by volume, or just use the weighted measurements provided in the recipe. Flour is one of the most inaccurate ingredients measured by volume, and too much flour can cause a dry and crumbly loaf.

It is also important to note that all-purpose flour is superior to bread flour in any quick bread recipe. In fact, the lower the protein content, the better. Though I have not tested it, cake flour may even work wonders. The problem is: cake flour is not a staple ingredient in many homes; therefore, I choose not to base a recipe off of it unless it is absolutely necessary. The reason all-purpose flour is important is the same reason we mix this batter until “just incorporated” – gluten development is not desired. The development of gluten produces a chewy texture, which is not desirable in baked goods, such as banana bread. Banana bread is meant to be moist and tender, with a soft crumb that’s slightly dense but not heavy – meaning we need to eliminate gluten to achieve it.

Leavening

This recipe uses a balance of baking powder and baking soda to leaven the bread, rather than the sourdough discard. This means you can bake your bread right away, without waiting for sourdough to do its magic. I prefer chemical leavening for sourdough discard recipes because we are using starter that is not in its prime state, and may not leaven well. While it is true that the addition of flour feeds the yeast, and you may get a slow rise, sourdough-discard-leavened bread has the potential to be more sour, due to the ever populating bacteria (which are responsible for the sour flavor) and still may not rise properly. Not to mention how the other ingredients in this quick bread would hold up during this waiting period, namely the bananas.

If you want to try long fermentation, do it in the refrigerator and wait to add the baking powder and soda until you are ready to bake. While the yeast in your starter will not function well (due to the cold temperatures), the bacteria will still work to break down the flour during this time. Still adding the baking powder and soda ensures you get a loaf that has been appropriately aerated (since the yeast from your discard will not be able to adequately do this on their own).

Salt

Salt brings out flavor. I use just a touch in this recipe to enhance all the flavors in this quick bread.

Inclusions

Chocolate chips make up the final component of this banana bread’s flavor profile. I prefer to use mini chocolate chips, as I feel they spread out and enhance the chocolate flavor even more. You can use any inclusion you desire, whether nuts or a different kind of chip (like peanut butter chips). The base is one cup total of inclusions, but really this is flexible depending on your preference.

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.

This recipe holds so much nostalgia for me. I based this sourdough version off of a recipe my mother used to make, one I keep in my family recipe box called, “Mama’s Favorite Banana Bread,” which is from a very old cookbook she used to keep around just to make this bread. This original process of converting that recipe to sourdough was gnarly, as this was the first recipe I had ever converted that contained no additional moisture from liquids like water or milk. Bananas and eggs do all the heavy lifting, and it does not make sense to take away from either in order to add and balance sourdough discard. To keep the balance, I only add a small amount discard (if you know me, you know I like to use a lot – as much as possible in any given recipe – so this is a bit of a bummer, but is what it is). Since first writing this recipe, I have come to a deeper understanding of how each ingredient plays a part in the whole, and I am excited to be able to share this information with you now.

What Is Banana Bread?

If you are not familiar with banana bread, it is a type of sweet, baked quick bread made with overripe, mashed bananas. The bananas provide a natural moisture and sweetness to the bread, though sugar is still usually added to the batter. It is extremely popular in North America, but has become a classic and beloved baked good in many households across the world.

What I Love About This Recipe

It is the cream cheese that makes this recipe so special. Mom always told me that was “the secret,” but I never understood it until I tried the alternatives. Adding cream cheese to this batter is similar to using sour cream or yogurt in any quick bread recipe, only there is something about the texture and moisture retention of the cream cheese that cannot be mimicked. It makes for an extremely smooth bread with a rich flavor that does not easily dry out. I honestly do not know if I could ever not use cream cheese as a quick bread base after realizing just how pleasantly it transforms the result.

This recipe also easily adapts to whatever pan you want to make it in. Whether it is a standard loaf pan, bundt pan, mini pans, or muffin pans, this recipe will work. The batter is not too wet, meaning flour provides structure and helps it rise beautifully in the oven, without spilling over the edges.

All The “Why’s”

Cream Cheese

Most quick breads contain a base made with two sticks of softened butter. Others add yogurt or sour cream. While this can be good, in my opinion, cream cheese is better. Though this recipe still contains butter, which is necessary for moisture retention, cream cheese brings a unique richness, texture, and even more moisture to the final bake. The final, overall flavor and consistency is elevated significantly and the loaf does not dry out as quickly.

Sugar

Sugar is mainly used as a sweetener in this quick bread. This means you can increase or reduce the amount to your personal preference. While I left this recipe very sweet, adding an entire cup of sugar to mirror the nostalgia of my childhood, I know there are many who would prefer to allow only the sweetness of bananas to shine. Sugar has other important contributions, too; it aids in browning, tenderizing, moisture retention, and preservation/shelf life. Therefore, I would not recommend removing it completely.

Butter

While fat can have many purposes in a recipe, one major effect is moisture retention. Without it, the loaf would be dry and crumbly, even with the cream cheese and sugar (which also work to retain moisture). Butter pairs well with the flavors of this dish, and serves just this purpose: to keep the loaf from drying out.

Sourdough Discard

The main purpose of sourdough discard is, well, to use sourdough discard. Unfortunately, the amount I use in this recipe is limited (if you know me, you know I like to use as much as possible in any given recipe), as banana bread gets most of its moisture from bananas and eggs, leaving little room for the additional moisture from the sourdough discard.

Bananas

Bananas are the star of the show in banana bread; they add moisture, flavor, and sweetness. Ripe bananas are key; I like to use them when they are very dark. As bananas ripen, their starches are converted into sugars and moisture is released, which just means the older, the better. It also means that the time you use the banana in relation to its ripeness will effect the outcome of your bread, creating a wetter or dryer batter.

Eggs

The more eggs you add to your bread, the more cake-like the bread becomes. Eggs add fluff and moisture, as well as make your bread lighter and taller. I find two eggs to be the perfect balance: it is not too cake-like, but is also not too dense.

All-Purpose Flour

While I do try to eliminate flour in some of my discard recipes, it is not possible with this one. Flour adds necessary structure to an otherwise loose batter. I like to have a lot of structure in my banana bread, so I use more flour compared to other recipes you can find on the internet. Even still, it is important to measure correctly by volume, or just use the weighted measurements instead. Flour is one of the most inaccurate ingredients measured by volume, and too much flour can cause a dry and crumbly loaf.

It is also important to note that all-purpose flour is superior to bread flour in any quick bread recipe. In fact, the lower the protein content, the better. Though I have not tested it, cake flour may even work wonders. The problem is: cake flour is not a staple ingredient in many homes; therefore, I choose not to base a recipe off of it unless it is absolutely necessary. The reason all-purpose flour is important is the same reason we mix this batter until “just incorporated” – gluten development is not desired. The development of gluten produces a chewy texture, which is not desirable in baked goods, such as banana bread. Banana bread is meant to be moist and tender, with a soft crumb that’s slightly dense but not heavy – meaning we need to eliminate gluten to achieve it.

Leavening

This recipe uses a balance of baking powder and baking soda to leaven the bread, rather than the sourdough discard. This means you can bake your bread right away, without waiting for sourdough to do its magic. I prefer chemical leavening for sourdough discard recipes because we are using starter that is not in its prime state, and may not leaven well. While it is true that the addition of flour feeds the yeast, and you may get a slow rise, sourdough-discard-leavened bread has the potential to be more sour, due to the ever populating bacteria (which are responsible for the sour flavor) and still may not rise properly. Not to mention how the other ingredients in this quick bread would hold up during this waiting period, namely the bananas.

If you want to try long fermentation, do it in the refrigerator and wait to add the baking powder and soda until you are ready to bake. While the yeast in your starter will not function well (due to the cold temperatures), the bacteria will still work to break down the flour during this time. Still adding the baking powder and soda ensures you get a loaf that has been appropriately aerated (since the yeast from your discard will not be able to adequately do this on their own).

Salt

Salt brings out flavor. I use just a touch in this recipe to enhance all the flavors in this quick bread.

Inclusions

While many banana bread recipes use nuts, I grew up with chocolate chips as the one and only inclusion for this dish. As an adult, I realize this is not what most people expect from banana bread, and I have come to be fond of the nuts. Therefore, I do a 50/50 split of nuts and chocolate (preferably mini chocolate chips, for they spread throughout the bread better). But, you can do whatever you want. The base is one cup total of inclusions, but really this is flexible depending on your preference.

Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.