Instructions
1. **Preheat & Prepare:** Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.
2. **Combine Dry Ingredients:** In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. **Cream Butter & Sugar:** In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
4. **Add Eggs & Vanilla:** Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
5. **Alternate Dry & Wet:** Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined – be careful not to overmix!
6. **Fold in Chocolate Chips:** Gently fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
7. **Bake:** Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. **Cool:** Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Short Tips
* **Don’t Overmix:** Overmixing the batter can lead to a tough loaf. Mix until just combined.
* **Room Temperature Ingredients:** Using room temperature eggs and butter helps create a smoother, more emulsified batter.
* **Buttermilk Substitute:** If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily make your own by adding lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk and letting it sit for a few minutes.
* **Chocolate Chip Distribution:** Toss your chocolate chips with a tiny bit of flour before adding them to the batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
* **Storage:** Store the cooled loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days, or freeze slices for longer storage.
