The Best Sourdough Banana Bread Discard Recipe

If you’re a fan of banana bread, get ready to fall in love with sourdough banana bread! This recipe takes a classic favorite and adds the subtle complexity of sourdough discard, making it even more delicious. Not only is it a great way to use your extra sourdough starter, but the combination of ripe bananas and sourdough creates a moist, flavorful loaf that’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the benefits of baking with sourdough discard, share why sourdough banana bread is a must-try recipe, and give you a step-by-step guide to making the best sourdough banana bread at home!

Why Use Sourdough Discard?

If you’ve been maintaining a sourdough starter, you’re probably familiar with the constant challenge of what to do with the discard after feedings. Instead of letting that excess go to waste, you can use it in a variety of baked goods, including muffins, pancakes, crackers, and—our favorite—banana bread.

Here’s why sourdough discard is a fantastic addition to banana bread:

• Adds Moisture: Sourdough discard helps keep your banana bread moist, giving it a tender crumb that melts in your mouth.
• Boosts Flavor: The natural fermentation in sourdough adds a slight tang to the bread, which pairs perfectly with the sweetness of ripe bananas. It creates a more complex flavor than your typical banana bread.
• Reduces Waste: Using sourdough discard is a great way to minimize waste in the kitchen. Instead of throwing away your discard, you can incorporate it into delicious recipes that your whole family will enjoy.

What You’ll Need to Make Sourdough Banana Bread

Before we get into this simple recipe, let’s make sure you have everything you need on hand. This recipe is simple and doesn’t require any special tools, but having the right ingredients and equipment makes the process smoother.

Equipment:

• Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale for accuracy)
• Medium and Large mixing bowls
• Whisk and spatula
• Loaf pan (9×5 inches)
• Parchment paper or cooking spray

Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium to large ripe bananas (about 350-400 g mashed)
• ½ cup melted butter (113 g)
• 3/4  cup white sugar (170 g)
• 1/2 cup sourdough discard (150 g)
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 g)
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (200 g)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (6 g)
• ½ teaspoon salt (3 g)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon (5 g)

How to Make Sourdough Banana Bread

Now that you’ve gathered your ingredients, it’s time to bake! Follow these simple steps to create a delicious loaf of sourdough banana bread:

1. Preheat the Oven: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease your loaf pan or line it with a parchment paper sling to prevent sticking.
2. Mash the Bananas: In your large bowl, mash your ripe bananas until smooth. This will be the base of your banana bread, so make sure the bananas are nice and mushy.
3. Mix the Wet Ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add your sourdough discard, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until it’s smooth and well combined.
4. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In your medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. This helps to evenly distribute the leavening agent throughout the batter, ensuring your banana bread rises properly.
5. Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients: Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir until just combined—don’t overmix! Overmixing can lead to dense bread. If you’re adding nuts or chocolate chips, fold them in gently at this stage.
6. Pour the Batter: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
7. Bake the Bread: Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of the bread is browning too quickly, you can loosely cover it with aluminum foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
8. Cool and Enjoy: Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Tips for Making Perfect Sourdough Banana Bread

• Use Ripe Bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. If your bananas have lots of brown spots, they’re perfect for this recipe.
• Don’t Overmix the Batter: Stir the batter until the ingredients are just combined. Overmixing can cause the bread to become dense and tough.
• Customize Your Mix-ins: Feel free to get creative with your add-ins! Chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit all make great additions to this recipe.
• Check for Doneness: Banana bread can vary in baking time depending on your oven and the moisture in your bananas. Start checking for doneness around 50 minutes, but don’t be surprised if it takes closer to 60 minutes. The key is that a toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center.

Why You’ll Love Sourdough Banana Bread

This sourdough banana bread recipe is the perfect sweet treat bursting with banana flavor! The sourdough discard adds a subtle complexity to the flavor, without making it sour, while the bananas provide natural sweetness and moisture. It’s a great recipe to use up overripe bananas and your extra sourdough starter discard, and the result is a loaf of bread that’s moist, fluffy, and packed with flavor.

Plus, this bread is incredibly versatile. It makes a great breakfast when paired with a little butter or nut butter, a satisfying snack in the afternoon, or even a simple dessert. And because it’s so easy to make, it’s perfect for both beginner bakers and seasoned pros.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many ways to enjoy sourdough banana bread! Here are a few of our favorite serving ideas:

• Toast with Butter: Toast a slice and slather it with butter for a warm, comforting snack.
• With Nut Butter: Spread almond butter or peanut butter on a slice for a protein-packed breakfast or snack.
• Top with Yogurt: Add a dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey for a delicious and satisfying breakfast.
• For Dessert: Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a simple, yet decadent dessert.

Variations for Making this Sourdough Banana Bread

• Dairy Free​ – Substitute the butter with vegetable oil or coconut oil.  Replace 1/2 cup melted butter with 1/2 cup oil of your choice. 
• Chocolate Chip – Add 1/2 cup (50 g) chocolate chips to the batter and have a chocolate chip banana bread. 
• Whole Wheat ​- You can replace the flour with whole wheat flour, but I find that doing this makes the bread a little more dense and lest moist.  For best results, I would use whole eggs instead of egg yolks if you plan to use whole wheat flour. 
• Make Muffins – Lightly grease a muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with muffin liners.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  
• Make it Sweeter​ – I find this sourdough discard banana bread to be perfectly sweet enough on its own, but you can use 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup of brown sugar instead for some added sweetness.  

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I store sourdough banana bread?
You can store your sourdough banana bread in an airtight container like a ziplock bag or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to keep it longer, you can refrigerate it for up to a week or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Can I make this recipe without sourdough discard?
Yes! If you don’t have sourdough discard, you can simply replace it with an equal amount of flour and water. The flavor won’t be as complex, but it will still be delicious.

Can I use active starter for this recipe?

Yep!  Using active sourdough starter versus sourdough discard shouldn’t change much of anything with this recipe.  If you were to ferment the batter, it could cause it to rise and the texture may be off a little bit.  

Why is my banana bread dense?
If your banana bread turns out dense, it’s likely due to overmixing the batter or using too much flour. Be sure to measure your ingredients accurately and stir just until combined.

Can I use my stand mixer or hand mixer?

I recommend against using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment because you run the risk of overmixing your batter which will result in a dense loaf.  

Other Recipes You Might Like

• Double Chocolate Sourdough Discard Zucchini Muffins
• Sourdough Pumpkin Roll
• Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Making sourdough banana bread is a fun and rewarding way to use your sourdough discard and brown bananas. This moist, flavorful bread is sure to become a household favorite, and with endless variations, you’ll never get bored of baking it. Happy baking!