Sourdough Banana Bread
Our sourdough banana bread is a soft, moist quick bread made with ripe bananas, cinnamon, and unfed sourdough starter. It has all the same flavor of regular banana bread with a little tanginess from the discard.
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I’ve always loved a loaf of fresh banana bread, and once I started working with sourdough, I had to figure out what to do with all the discard. Adding it to my regular banana bread recipe turned out to be one of the easiest ways to use it.
There’s no waiting on dough to rise and no shaping. The batter comes together in minutes, then bakes into a hearty loaf that’s great for breakfast, snacking, or turning into French toast the next day.
Things to Know Before You Start
Kim’s Tips for Great Sourdough Banana Bread
Use very ripe bananas if you have them. The darker and softer they are, the better the flavor and texture will be.
After the bananas are mixed into the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, the batter may look separated. That’s normal. It comes back together once the sourdough starter and dry ingredients are added.
This recipe uses baking soda instead of baking powder. Since the sourdough starter is unfed discard, it needs a little help to rise into a nice loaf.
I also like placing the loaf pan on a metal baking sheet before it goes into the oven. It helps keep the bottom from browning too much before the center is baked through.
If you’re working through sourdough discard, try my sourdough Parmesan crackers, sourdough starter pancakes, or sourdough waffles next. For a regular loaf without discard, my traditional banana bread is the one to use.
How to Make Sourdough Banana Bread
Make the batter: Cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until everything is combined.
Add the bananas and discard: Mix in the ripe bananas until no large chunks remain. The batter may look a little broken at this point, but that’s expected. Add the sourdough starter and mix on low speed just until it’s worked in.
Add the dry ingredients: Add the baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and flour. Mix only until the dry streaks disappear, then scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so there aren’t any pockets of flour hiding underneath.
Bake: Spread the batter into a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil.
Cool and slice: Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then move it to a wire rack. Cool it completely before slicing so the loaf has time to set.
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Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 (100 g) large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 bananas, overripe (approximately 300 to 340 g peeled)
- ¾ cup (175 g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F, and lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Continue beating on low speed until the ingredients are well combined.2 (100 g) large eggs2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Next, add the bananas. Beat until the bananas are very well mixed and no large chunks remain. The mixture will appear “separated,” but it will come back together as the remaining ingredients are added.3 bananas
- Pour in the sourdough starter, and mix on low speed just until combined. Then add the baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and flour. Mix just until no dry flour streaks remain. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.¾ cup (175 g) sourdough starter1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon salt2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F, and continue to bake for an additional 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If the bread begins to brown too quickly, make a foil tent and drape loosely over the top.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the bread to cool inside the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Place the loaf pan on a metal baking sheet to help keep the bottom from overbrowning.
- This bread is denser and slightly less sweet than regular banana bread. It’s hearty and makes a great option for French toast.
- Even though many sourdough recipes don’t use extra leavening, this recipe uses baking soda because the sourdough starter is unfed discard.
- Store leftovers in a sealed bag or airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Calories are an estimate based on 1 slice when the loaf is cut into 10 equal-sized slices.