Sourdough Banana Bread

The ultimate recipe for sourdough banana bread. This loaf is insanely moist and has a rich banana flavor. It’s great the same day, but even better the next day once the flavors mingle a bit more and the texture becomes perfectly tender.

As if the internet needed one more banana bread recipe. But, sincerely, this one is something special. I tested it over and over until it was positively perfect.

Case in point, I shared one of the first test loaves with our family’s piano teacher. She liked it, but after delivering the final perfected version to her, this was the response:

Why Add Sourdough to Banana Bread?

This recipe is intended for folks who have a sourdough starter and find themselves in the inevitable position of wanting to use up their sourdough discard. However, it’s not only a great way to use up discard, but it adds an extra fabulous flavor to the banana bread.

What is Sourdough Discard?

A sourdough starter needs to be fed with flour and water to stay alive. Each time you feed your starter it grows. You use a portion of the fed starter to bake bread, and you’ll hang on to a certain amount of starter to keep the starter going for years to come.

What inevitably happens, though, is that you’ll end up with more starter than you need, so you discard the extra. Thus, sourdough discard.

While it’s often considered waste, this tangy, nutrient-rich mixture can be repurposed in various recipes, adding depth of flavor to things like cinnamon rolls, breadsticks, and crackers.

Using sourdough discard not only reduces food waste but also brings a delightful, subtle sourness to your baked goods. It adds a depth and a zing to this banana bread which makes it unique.

Whenever I have sourdough discard, I add it to a large jar that I keep in my fridge. Once that jar gets full, it’s time to make some discard recipes. This is one of our family’s favorite ways to use up discard.

Want to get started in sourdough? Check out this blog post.

Quick Solution for Unripe Bananas

I tested this recipe using both naturally over-ripened bananas as well as oven-ripened bananas.

Naturally ripened bananas do have just a little extra magic owing to the sugars that come through in the ripening process.

That said, if you have a hankering for banana bread and need over ripe bananas in a flash, you can force the process in the oven.

Preheat your oven to 300ºF and place the unpeeled (very important!) bananas on a baking sheet lined with parchment, foil or a silicone baking mat. Bake them for 20 minutes until the skins are completely black and the fruit is softened. Depending on the size and ripeness of your bananas, it might take a few minutes longer. Once they’re ready, take them out of the oven and give them 10 minutes to cool before using them in your recipe.

Tips for Making Sourdough Banana Bread

Unfed Sourdough Starter

Since this is a quick bread, it doesn’t require the magical leavening power of a sourdough starter. It gets the rise it needs from a little bit of baking soda. Thus why you can use unfed sourdough discard.

Weighing Ingredients

I know not everyone is on team “weight your ingredients” but it is WILD to me how much variation there can be when measuring ingredients by cups. Things like flour and brown sugar, especially, depending on how packed they are, how they were stored, how you scooped them, can vary significantly from cup to cup in terms of actual volume.

When you weigh in grams, it’s so much more precise and helps ensure consistent results. I’ve used this kitchen scale for a decade and it’s still going strong.

Room Temperature Ingredients

Yet another thing that amazes me what a difference it makes is in following temperature recommendations. You’ll notice I recommend using room temperature eggs, sourdough discard and yogurt. If your ingredients are cold, they’ll affect the butter in the batter, which can impact the final texture of your loaf.

The Right Size Loaf Pan

This recipe is intended for a 1lb loaf pan. You can make it in a larger pan, but it will result in a shorter, wider loaf. I personally love the USA PAN 1 pound loaf pan. It distributes heat evenly and I’ve never had a loaf get stuck (knock on wood!).

Using Temperature to Know When the Banana Bread is Done

Major game changer in my breads and baked goods game was in taking their temperature to gauge doneness. Because though I’ve tested this recipe many many times over, there might be differences in how long it takes to bake in your oven. From differences in environment, elevation, ingredients, your loaf might require a little more time.

The best way to know when your banana bread is done? Poke an instant read thermometer into the center of your bread and when it reaches between 195F and 200F it’s done.

Less than that, and your loaf might come out a little gummy and sink in the center. More than that and you’ll end up with a drier bread.

Freezing Banana Bread

This recipe is fantastic for freezing. Because sometimes I get an itch to bake or use up some over-ripe bananas but I know my family isn’t going to eat up this bread on account of other baked goods already hanging out in the pantry.

To freeze sourdough banana bread, it’s important to first wait for the loaf to fully cool. Once it’s cool, wrap it in aluminum foil to help prevent freezer burn, and then pop it into a freezer bag. It can stay in the freezer up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to enjoy it, take it out of the freezer, leaving it in the bag, and let it thaw at room temperature for 3 – 4 hours.

More Cozy Baking Recipes from My Kitchen

• Cinnamon Streusel Oatmeal Cookies
• No Chill Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
• Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

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