This Sourdough Banana Bread is made with discard, so it’s a wonderful way to use up any extra starter you have hanging around!
Do you have extra sourdough starter discard that you just hate to throw out?
Here’s something delicious you can make with it: Sourdough Discard Banana Bread!
This recipe doesn’t require a long fermentation time, so it’s a great beginner’s sourdough recipe.
And the flavor and texture are wonderful. My dad described it as “smooth.”
Here are the really simple steps for making this yummy treat:
Sourdough Discard Banana Bread Ingredients:
First, here are the ingredients you’ll need to make it:
- flour
- salt
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- sugar
- butter
- eggs
- vanilla
- chocolate chips
- very ripe bananas
And not to forget: active sourdough starter!
An active sourdough starter means it’s been fed 8-12 hours previously, is bubbly, and passes the float test.
Since this recipe doesn’t rely on the sourdough discard to raise the banana bread, it’s less important that it’s at ideal maturity.
But bubbly and active is ideal!
If you’re new to sourdough, you can check out my How to Make a Sourdough Starter From Scratch post.
How to Make Sourdough Banana Bread:
Start by mixing together the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
You’re going to use less flour than you usually would in a loaf of banana bread because the sourdough starter contains some flour.
Next, beat the butter and sugar together until light.
Add the bananas and mix well.
I’m so glad that I discovered this method of “mashing” the bananas – there’s no need to dirty up a potato masher!
Make sure to watch the video at the end for a demonstration of this mashing method!
Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the bowl.
Then add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. You don’t want to over-mix the batter!
Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Bake in a greased and floured loaf pan at 350°F for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Don’t over-bake it or (obviously) it will be dry!
Allow the bread to cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting and allowing to cool at least until just warm.
I won’t ask you to do what I cannot and wait until it’s completely cool to slice.
But please wait until it’s warm, not hot!
NOTES:
- I used chocolate chips in this sourdough banana bread, but you could totally substitute soaked pecans or any other nut you prefer. The chocolate chips are really good, though.
- I only used 1/4 cup of cane sugar in my recipe, which is plenty for me. The original recipe called for 1 cup, so if you prefer things on the sweeter side, feel free to increase the sugar amount.
Here’s a video tutorial for you!
MORE SOURDOUGH RECIPES:
- Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Sourdough Shortcakes
- The Best Sourdough Pancakes
- Sourdough Dutch Baby
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Overnight Sourdough Waffles
- Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls
- Sourdough Brioche
- Soft Sourdough French Bread – No Yeast!
- Sourdough Tortillas
Sourdough Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
A super easy sourdough recipe - great for beginners!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp unrefined salt
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup grass-fed butter, softened
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 3 medium very ripe bananas
- 2 large pastured eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup active sourdough starter (see note)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8.5x4.5-inch loaf pan, tapping out the excess flour.
-
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
-
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light. Add the bananas and beat until the bananas are well "mashed." Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the sourdough starter and mix just until incorporated.
-
Add the dry ingredients and gently mix on low speed just until combined. Add the chocolate chips and gently fold them in with a spatula.
-
Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
-
Allow the loaf to cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting on the rack to cool completely (or at least until just warm). Serve with grass-fed butter.
Recipe Notes
- An active sourdough starter is one that has been fed about 8-12 hours beforehand, and is bubbly and passes the float test.
- I keep my starter at 100% hydration, which means that I feed it equal weights, not volumes, of water and flour.
- Recipe adapted from Pinch My Salt.
Susanna
Wednesday 8th of December 2021
I am super excited to try this as mini-loaves. What would you suggest for cooking time? Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Erica Kastner
Friday 10th of December 2021
I would say, start checking at 25-30 minutes!
Tari A
Thursday 4th of November 2021
I haven’t tried this yet, as I like my flours to be fully fermented (at least 7 hours soak/ferment time). Have you or anyone else tried making the batter the night before, fermenting in fridge, then baking in am? I have tried this method for a couple sourdough muffin recipes from Little Spoon Farm and they worked great.
Mansoor
Saturday 11th of September 2021
Mine came out fluffy like cake. But still happy with the delicious taste. Can we add whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose?
Erica Kastner
Sunday 12th of September 2021
Yes, you should be able to use at least part whole wheat flour. If you use whole wheat pastry flour, you could probably successfully substitute all whole wheat flour. Or you could start with half and half if you have hard red or white wheat.
Sourdough Tortillas (Video + Printable Recipe) - Buttered Side Up
Monday 14th of September 2020
[…] Chocolate Chip Sourdough Banana Bread […]
Corrie
Friday 19th of June 2020
Would you just double everything to make a double batch for 2 loafs ?
Erica Kastner
Monday 22nd of June 2020
Yep! That's what I would do. :)