1. Prepare Your Baking Pan and Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan with gluten-free flour, or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.

2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon (if using). Make sure there are no lumps and the ingredients are evenly distributed. This ensures consistent rising and flavor throughout the bread.

3. Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, mash your ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining. Stir in the melted butter, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined. The mixture should look creamy and uniform.

4. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredient mixture. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few streaks of flour are perfectly fine. Overmixing can lead to a tougher texture in gluten-free baking.

5. Pour into Loaf Pan: Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon or spatula. You can tap the pan gently on the counter a couple of times to release any large air bubbles.

6. Bake the Banana Bread: Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. The bread is done when a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil during the last 15-20 minutes of baking.

7. Cool Before Slicing: Once baked, remove the loaf pan from the oven and let the banana bread cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. This allows it to firm up before you attempt to remove it. Then, carefully lift the bread out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang or invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.