Sourdough Banana Bread + Variations
by Alexa DobsonSourdough can turn up in some of the most unexpected places. Many baked goods can be amped up with some active or discarded starter. The wild microbes contribute deep and complex flavors that make any recipe a little more interesting.
Category
Quick breads
Servings
One 9x9" pan
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
60 minutes
Sourdough, in my banana bread? Believe it! This is a great zero-waste recipe to use up "discard" sourdough starter as well as bananas that are getting a little too ripe on the counter. It's sweet, but not too sweet, with a surprising depth of flavor. Chocolate chips add a little extra delight.
Ingredients
1 cup sourdough starter discard
3 very ripe or overripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose white flour
Optional: Walnuts, chocolate chips, cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ingredients one at a time, in the order listed above. A fork or whisk works well for mixing the first seven ingredients (through baking soda), then switch to a spatula.
Loosely cover and let stand up to 1 hour, until you see the mixture becoming bubbly as the sourdough starter works its magic.
Grease a 9x9" pan very well, or line with parchment paper, then pour in the batter.
Place in the oven to bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Alternatively, you can use two smaller 8x4" loaf pans to bake your banana bread. In this case, baking time will be shorter - start checking for doneness at 40 minutes.)
Let rest and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting pieces. Enjoy!
Recipe Note
Variant 1: Pumpkin bread
Feeling fall? Create a festive bread by substituting 1 cup pumpkin for bananas. Add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp powdered ginger for the perfect warming spice blend to complement the pumpkin.