Sourdough Banana Bread

5 from 1 vote

Sourdough banana bread is a quick and easy way to use up a sourdough discard, and it'll add just a hint of sourdough tang (and nutrition) to homemade banana bread!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 30

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Sourdough Discard

Servings: slices, Makes 1 Loaf

Author: Ashley Adamant

Equipment

9 by 5 Loaf Pan

Ingredients

8 tbsp butter unsalted, at room temperature
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup unfed sourdough starter discard, or active starter
1 ½ tsp baking powder
⅔ cup light brown sugar firmly packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 ¾ cups mashed banana
¼ cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
¾ cup chopped nuts or raisins or chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325F (163C). Lightly grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whip together the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until smooth and light.
Add the mashed bananas, maple syrup, eggs, and sourdough discard, mixing well after each addition.
Gently stir in the flour until just combined. Fold in the nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips if using. Do not overmix.
Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 minutes, then lay a piece of aluminum foil loosely across the surface to keep the top from over-browning.
Bake another 25 minutes, or 20 minutes if using a tea loaf pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. An instant-read thermometer should read 205F to 210F in the center.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Banana ripeness: Use bananas that are at least half black, soft enough to mash with a fork, and sweet-smelling. Yellow bananas with a few spots are still starchy and give a bland, pale loaf. To ripen quickly, bake them unpeeled at 300F for 15 to 20 minutes until the skins are glossy black, then cool and mash.

Measure, do not count: This recipe uses more banana by weight than flour, so banana size matters more than usual. Mash into a measuring cup or weigh it, and stop at 1 3/4 cups or about 400 g. That is roughly 4 medium bananas, but bunches vary enough that counting is unreliable.

Frozen bananas: Thaw completely and measure the mashed fruit together with the liquid it releases, which is sugar and flavor rather than something to drain off.

Discard or fed starter: Either works with no other changes. Unfed discard is more acidic and gives a tangier loaf; a freshly fed starter is milder. The recipe assumes 100% hydration.

Doneness: With this much fruit, a completely clean toothpick means the loaf is already overbaked. Look for a few moist crumbs, or take the center to 205F to 210F. Total bake time is 70 minutes, with foil over the top for the last 25.

Ceramic pan: If using a thermoregulating ceramic pan, skip the foil, raise the oven to 350F, and add about 20 minutes to the total bake time. Check the internal temperature rather than relying on the clock.

Honey instead of maple: Swap the maple syrup for an equal amount of honey. The loaf will be slightly stickier and will not keep as long, since honey draws in moisture from the air.

Muffins: Divide the batter between 18 lined muffin cups and bake at 350F for 22 to 25 minutes. Muffins are shallow enough that the low, slow approach is unnecessary.

Do not rest this batter: The baking soda begins reacting with the acid in the discard and bananas as soon as they meet, and that reaction does not restart in the oven. Mix, fill the pan, and bake.

Storage: Wrapped tightly at room temperature the loaf keeps 3 to 4 days and is better on day two. Do not refrigerate. To freeze, cool completely, wrap whole or in slices, and freeze up to 3 months. Frozen slices toast well straight from the freezer.

Nutrition