Moist Sourdough Discard Banana Bread (beginner recipe!) (2024)

I developed this banana bread using my Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bread as a starting point, and it is just as delicious. Pumpkin and mashed banana have relatively similar moisture content, which makes it a natural adaptation with bananas. This bread is tall and moist, perfectly sweet and full of banana flavor, and reminiscent of a bakery style loaf.

This bread is tall and moist, perfectly sweet and full of banana flavor, and reminiscent of a bakery style loaf.

This soft and delicious banana bread recipe uses a small portion of almond flour to add additional moistness and give the banana bread a lovely tight crumbed texture. I do the same with my sourdough discard banana chocolate chip muffins! A good amount of vanilla extract to bring out the true flavor of the bananas, and the loaf is finished with raw sesame seeds for subtle crunch and toastiness at the top of each slice.

Why use sourdough discard in banana bread?

Sourdough discard (unfed sourdough starter that has been removed from active sourdough starter to rebalance the acidity levels)can be a magical ingredient, making cakes and baked goods fluffy and soft because it increases the acidity of the batter, which weakens the gluten in flour.

Because it has already been fermented, the gluten in the sourdough discard itself has also been weakened. It has the same effect in this fabulousSourdough Discard Pumpkin Bread and Sourdough Discard Rhubarb Cake. Contrary to what one might think sourdough discard doesn’t make cake or quick bread recipes sour!

Main Ingredients for Sourdough Banana Bread

• Sourdough starter discard
• All-purpose flour
• Almond flour
• Very ripe bananas
• Eggs
• Neutral oil (such as sunflower or grapeseed oil)
• Sugar
• Vanilla and cinnamon

How to Make Moist Sourdough Banana Bread:

• Mash the ripe bananas in a large bowl until mostly smooth.
• Add sourdough discard, vanilla and oil. Whisk until combined. Then add eggs and sugars, and whisk again until combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in two increments, using a spatula to fold in until no streaks remained.
• Pour batter into a loaf pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. When oven is preheated, place loaf pan inside and turn heat down to 350 degrees F. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, with no wet batter.
• Remove from oven and let pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove bread to finish cooling.

How long does sourdough discard last in the fridge?

You can keep sourdough discard in your refrigerator for up to 10 days. The discard will be more sour the longer it stays in the fridge. So for something like these pumpkin scones orsourdough discard muffins, where I don’t want the sourness to come through,I use discard that is less than 5 days old.

Your discard might accumulate a little liquid on the top while it’s in the fridge, which is called hooch, simply meaning alcohol that is the byproduct of fermentation.You can simple pour the liquid off into garbage, and scrape the very top off, and use the rest as discard.

More Sourdough Discard Recipes:

• Flaky Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze
• Lemon Rhubarb Sourdough Discard Cake
• Easy Sourdough Discard Soda Bread