Sourdough Banana Bread Recipe
There’s no banana bread like sourdough banana bread! Turn simple ingredients like butter, flour, overripe bananas and some excess sourdough discard into a moist and delicious treat!
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Banana bread is one of those classic, chilly afternoon comfort foods. It’s a great treat to make in the wintertime when bananas are one of the few options of fresh fruit at the grocery store. Once the summer abundance arrives, I tend to forget about bananas. With wind chills around -30 F this week, we are definitely making this yummy sourdough banana bread!
This is the best sourdough banana bread that we love to throw together when we’re craving something sweet. It’s a great way to use up some overripe bananas and sourdough starter discard, but it’s a quick sourdough bread so there is no extra wait time necessary.
I love using fermented grains whenever possible. For this sourdough discard banana bread recipe, I like to use my oldest, tangiest sourdough discard that has been waiting in the back of the refrigerator for probably too long. The sour, fermented flavor from the sourdough starter discard with the sweet banana flavor and maple syrup gives this banana bread the most delicious caramel-y flavor.
So, let’s get to making one of my favorite sourdough discard recipes!
​what you’ll love about sourdough banana bread
– It’s quick! This is a quick sourdough bread recipe which means that it is made with sourdough discard and there is no extra rise time. Just make the batter and bake right away.
– Not overly sweet. I really wanted to focus on coming up with a sourdough banana bread recipe that didn’t call for cups and cups of refined sugar like so many regular banana bread recipes do. Just a bit of brown sugar and some maple syrup really do the trick!
– Fermented grains added. It’s always a good idea to incorporate some fermented grains whenever possible. This is an easy way to get some extra probiotics from the addition of the sourdough starter.Â
– It’s super moist. Life is too short for dry banana bread. The butter and bananas keep this bread nice and moist, even a couple of days after baking if it’s stored correctly.
recipe tips and notes:
– If you are absolutely craving banana bread but don’t have any overripe bananas, you can use this little trick to speed up the process. Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes in a 250 degree oven. The outside will brown and the insides will be soft and squishy, just like they’ve been sitting on your counter for a few too many days.
– We prefer the texture when the bananas aren’t completely mashed all the way. This leaves some chunkier banana bites throughout the bread. If you prefer a smooth, even texture, mash the bananas until they are completely smooth and even with no big chunks left.
– I like to use my oldest, tangiest unfed sourdough starter. But I have made it with active sourdough starter too and it works just fine!
– One of the most important things about this recipe is to NOT overmix the batter. The dry ingredients should be carefully folded into the wet ingredients and mixed just until the flour mixture is completely incorporated. Stirring the batter too much will cause the bread to be tough instead of soft and fluffy.
-This recipe makes a substantial size loaf of sourdough banana bread. Don’t try to use anything smaller than a 9″x5″ loaf pan.
-Sourdough banana bread can be easily customized! Add chocolate chips or walnuts to mix it up.
everything you’ll need to make sourdough banana bread
ingredients
- Butter – No vegetable oil necessary
- Brown sugar – Only brown sugar in this recipe, no white sugar
- Maple syrup – To add a little more sweetness without adding more refined sugar
- Egg
- Sourdough starter discard – Discarded sourdough starter is best, but active or fed starter works too
- Ripe bananas – the riper the better. Bananas become sweeter and more flavorful as they ripen
- All purpose flourÂ
- Cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
tools & equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
- Parchment paper (optional)
- Wire rack
how to make this delicious recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan (or you can line it with parchment paper instead).
2. Next, melt the butter. Then, add melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, egg and sourdough starter discard to a large bowl. Peel the brown bananas and mash them on a plate with a fork. Add the bananas, and whisk all of the wet ingredients until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently until everything is combined. Don’t overmix.
4. Pour the banana bread batter into the buttered loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes. After 50 minutes, check to see if the bread is done by sticking a toothpick or cake tester into it. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Or press on the top of the bread a little bit – if the bread still feels really squishy, bake another 5-10 minutes. The top of the bread will beautiful golden brown.
5. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before removing from the loaf pan. Enjoy your perfect loaf of banana bread warm with fresh butter or honey.
optional sourdough banana bread variations
– Chocolate chips – Chocolate makes everything better! Turn this delicious banana bread into full on dessert with some chocolate chips mixed in.
​- Nuts – Chopped walnuts or pecans
– Apples – Peeled and chopped into small pieces, this goes so well with the cinnamon in the bread.
– Coconut – Shredded coconut is fun to add once in a while!
how to store sourdough banana bread
Store at room temperature in an airtight container or on a plate with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. This recipe also freezes very well as a whole loaf or individual slices. Wrap tightly and freeze up to 6 months.
​other sourdough recipes you’ll enjoy –
- Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- ​Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancake
- Sourdough Discard Crackers
- Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits
print the recipe card
Sourdough Banana Bread
There's no banana bread like sourdough banana bread! Turn simple ingredients like butter, flour, overripe bananas and some excess sourdough discard into a moist and delicious treat!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard
- 3 overripe bananas
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan (or you can line it with parchment paper instead).
- Next, melt the butter. Then, add melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, egg and sourdough starter discard to a large bowl. Peel the brown bananas and mash them on a plate with a fork. Add the bananas, and whisk all of the wet ingredients until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently until everything is combined. Don't overmix.
- Pour the banana bread batter into the buttered loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes. After 50 minutes, check to see if the bread is done by sticking a toothpick into it. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. If not, bake another 5-10 minutes and test again.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before removing from the loaf pan.
Notes
- If you are absolutely craving banana bread but don't have any overripe bananas, you can use this little trick to speed up the process. Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes in a 250 degree oven. The outside will brown and the insides will be soft and squishy, just like they've been sitting on your counter for a few too many days.Â
- We prefer the texture when the bananas aren't completely mashed all the way. This leaves some chunkier banana bites throughout the bread. If you prefer a smooth, even texture, mash the bananas until they are completely smooth with no big chunks left.
- I like to use my oldest, tangiest unfed sourdough starter. But I have made it with active sourdough starter too and it works just fine!
- One of the most important things about this recipe is to NOT overmix the batter. The dry ingredients should be carefully folded into the wet ingredients and mixed just until the flour mixture is completely incorporated. Stirring the batter too much will cause the bread to be tough instead of soft and fluffy.
-This recipe makes a substantial size loaf of sourdough banana bread. Don't try to use anything smaller than a 9"x5" loaf pan.Â
-Sourdough banana bread can be easily customized! Add chocolate chips, walnuts or chopped apples to mix it up.
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