Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This takes about 10 minutes. While it heats, grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray, then dust lightly with flour. Tap out any excess flour. You can also line the pan with parchment paper for easier removal.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Whisk for about 30 seconds until evenly combined. Set this bowl aside. Checkpoint: Your dry ingredients are fully combined and lump-free.

In a large mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter (should be soft enough to dent with your finger but not melting). Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar to the butter. Using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wooden spoon, beat for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale yellow. This step is important—it incorporates air into the batter. Checkpoint: The butter and sugar mixture looks like pale, fluffy frosting.

Add 2 large eggs (at room temperature) to the butter mixture, one at a time. After adding the first egg, beat for about 30 seconds until fully combined, then add the second egg and beat again for 30 seconds. The mixture should look creamy and slightly curdled, which is normal. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix for 10 seconds. Checkpoint: No streaks of egg white are visible.

Mash 3 ripe bananas (they should have brown spots on the skin) in a small bowl with a fork until mostly smooth—a few small lumps are fine. You should have about 1 to 1.25 cups. Add the mashed bananas and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to the butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula for about 1 minute until the bananas are evenly mixed throughout. The batter will look slightly lumpy. Checkpoint: The banana is distributed evenly and the lemon juice is incorporated.

Add 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt to the batter. Fold it in gently using a rubber spatula by scraping the bottom of the bowl, folding the mixture over itself, and rotating the bowl a quarter turn. Continue folding for 30 to 45 seconds until no white streaks of yogurt remain. Do not stir aggressively or use an electric mixer—overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough. Checkpoint: The yogurt is fully incorporated with no visible white streaks.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the batter in two additions. After the first addition, fold gently for 30 seconds until just barely combined. Add the second half of the flour mixture and fold for another 30 to 45 seconds until the dry ingredients disappear. The batter should look thick and slightly lumpy—this is correct. Stop folding as soon as you don't see dry flour. Overmixing at this stage will result in a tough loaf. Checkpoint: No dry flour streaks are visible, and the batter is thick.

Chop 1 cup fresh strawberries into small, bite-sized pieces (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch). Gently fold the strawberry pieces into the batter using just 10 to 15 folds with your spatula, being as gentle as possible to avoid crushing the berries. The batter will be thick and fold-resistant, which is expected. Checkpoint: The strawberries are distributed throughout without being crushed.

Pour the entire batter into your prepared loaf pan. Use a spatula to gently spread it to the corners and smooth the top, creating an even surface. The pan should be about 2/3 full. Checkpoint: The batter fills the pan evenly with no air pockets visible on top.

Place the loaf pan in your preheated 350°F oven on the center rack. Set a timer for 55 minutes. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes total. The bread is done when the top is deep golden brown (almost caramel-colored) and a wooden toothpick or thin knife inserted into the very center comes out clean or with just 1 to 2 tiny moist crumbs clinging to it. If the top is browning too quickly but the center is still jiggly, tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time. Checkpoint: The top is dark golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or nearly clean.

Remove the loaf pan from the oven using oven mitts and place it on a heat-safe surface or wire cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes. This resting time allows the crumb to set and makes removal easier. Checkpoint: The bread has cooled enough that you can safely touch the edges of the pan.

After 10 minutes, run a thin knife or small spatula around the edges of the loaf to loosen it from the pan. This prevents sticking. Place a wire cooling rack upside down over the top of the loaf pan, then flip both the pan and rack together so the bread falls onto the rack. Gently lift the pan away. If the bread doesn't release, tap the bottom of the pan gently and try again. Checkpoint: The bread is out of the pan and resting on the cooling rack.

Allow the bread to cool on the rack at room temperature for at least 30 to 45 minutes before slicing. This final cooling sets the structure and makes clean slicing possible. Slice with a serrated bread knife using a gentle sawing motion, not a pressing motion. Checkpoint: The bread is completely cool and slices cleanly without crumbling.