Food

Easy Sourdough Banana Bread Recipe

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Sep 22, 2024 • 2 min read

Making this rustic sourdough banana bread turns two common kitchen leftovers—sourdough starter discard and overripe bananas—into a unique tangy treat.

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What Is Sourdough Banana Bread?

Sourdough banana bread is a twist on the classic cake-like quickbread that calls for the use of sourdough discard. Though its primary use is to leaven sourdough bread, adding sourdough starter discard—which contains bacteria and acids—to banana bread results in a pleasantly tangy treat with a hearty texture.

3 Tips for Making Sourdough Banana Bread

Follow these simple tips to make the best banana bread possible:

  1. 1. Mix the batter until just combined. Overmixing sourdough banana bread batter will result in a dense, dry crumb. To ensure a moist, airy loaf, mix the batter until it is just combined.
  2. 2. Experiment with additions. Adjust this simple banana bread recipe to incorporate ingredients you have on hand or simply prefer. Swap a portion of the brown sugar for white sugar, maple syrup, or molasses. Fold chopped nuts (like walnuts and pecans), chocolate chips, or blueberries into the batter for textural variation. Top the bread with a crispy oat streusel, cream cheese frosting, or powdered sugar glaze for extra sweetness.
  3. 3. Store on the countertop or in the freezer. Store your leftover banana bread—wrapped tightly in plastic wrap—on the countertop for up to 5 days. For long-term storage, wrap the room-temperature banana bread in a layer of plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Easy Sourdough Banana Bread Recipe

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makes

1 loaf

prep time

10 min

total time

1 hr 10 min

cook time

1 hr

Ingredients

Note: The total time does not include 15 minutes of inactive time.

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.

  2. 2

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, place the ingredient in a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to combine.

  3. 3

    Add the eggs to the mixing bowl one at a time, fully incorporating the first one before adding the second.

  4. 4

    Add the mashed bananas, milk, sourdough starter, and vanilla extract to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix until well-combined.

  5. 5

    In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

  6. 6

    Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until the flour is fully incorporated.

  7. 7

    Fold the chopped nuts into the batter, if using.

  8. 8

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 45–60 minutes depending on your oven.

  9. 9

    Remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

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