Sourdough Discard Banana Bread
Don’t discard your extra sourdough starter! It makes a great addition to easy baking recipes, including this banana bread recipe.
It took me a few days to get savvy to why the ‘gram was filling up with sourdough starters.
Since I’m a perpetually busy baker (check out my Healthy Everyday Baking e-book if you don’t believe me), I had a plentiful stash of yeast on hand when the current home isolation hit.
From what I can tell (and this article pretty much confirms it), many would-be bakers found themselves scrambling to buy up all the yeast they could find on store shelves… realizing that weeks/months at home provided a great time to bake.
Here’s the problem. The yeast “food chain” isn’t exactly primed to anticipate a massive baking surge in the spring. And so, much like the story of toilet paper, there’s now a yeast shortage.
(Note: my most recent trip to Publix showed that the only thing completely missing from store shelves that morning was toilet paper and yeast… and I assume hand sanitizer, but I didn’t look.)
So, that leads us to sourdough.
Because of the natural yeast that lives around us every day, with some patience and daily nurturing, you can basically turn flour + water in to a vibrant sourdough mixture that can — eventually — leaven bread all on its own. It’s pretty special when you think about it.
I’m NOT a sourdough expert.
In fact, last week when I reconstituted an Alaskan sourdough starter that I brought back from my last trip to Alaska (be sure to listen to the end of The Supplements Episode to learn more about that) was the first time I’d ever successfully gotten a sourdough starter, started.
But what I’ve found (as any sourdough baker will tell you) is that you end up with A LOT of “discard” as you continually feed your starter. And while yeast is nowhere to be found, flour isn’t far behind from my experience.
In other words, I don’t want to waste a single ounce of flour if I don’t have to. Hence the reason I started searching for sourdough discard recipes.
King Arthur Flour (who by the way has the MOST amazing baking resources ever) has a great guide to sourdough AND has some yummy ideas for sourdough discard recipes. I made their Sourdough Discard Crackers, but if you’ve ever looked through my Instagram feed and my Baking Recipes on here, you know I love me a good quick bread recipe!
So with a little research, my own baking knowledge and a plentiful supply of frozen bananas and chocolate chips, this beauty was born:
If you’re interested in getting started making your own sourdough starter, definitely start with King Arthur Flour’s tutorial.
OR… do like I did. “Cheat” a little and begin with a dry sourdough starter that you can reconstitute. There’s this dry sourdough starter available on Amazon.
King Arthur also has a fresh sourdough starter that I’ve heard wonderful things about (as of 4/8/20 it looks like it’s out of stock). You *might* be able to snag the one I used by purchasing this Sourdough Cookbook (they include a packet of the same starter I used with every purchase of the cookbook).
And lastly, it looks like breadtopia has a dry sourdough starter in stock.
If you bake this recipe or begin your own starter… of if you’re already in the sourdough experience like so many of us, please tag me on Instagram @thisunmillenniallife. I’d love to see what you’re baking! ~Regan
Sourdough Discard Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
Don’t discard your extra sourdough starter! It makes a great addition to easy baking recipes, including this banana bread recipe.
HOW TO bake this bread without sourdough discard: use an additional 1/3 cup (63 g) all-purpose flour and add in 1/3 (63 g) water to the recipe with the other wet ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose or cake flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 1/2 cup (100 g) oil
- 1/2 cup (100 g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 large flax eggs or eggs, if preferred (I actually like this best with homeade flax eggs)
- 3/4 cup (125 g) sourdough starter discard*
- 3 very ripe medium-size bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips**
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate mixing bowl (or stand mixer) beat oil and sugar until well combined. Beat in eggs, sourdough starter discard, bananas and vanilla.
- Gradually beat in flour mixture, scarping down sides of bowl as necessary. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out mostly clean. Be careful not to overbake.
- Let cool in pan 10 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*This is a large amount of “discard.” If you don’t have that much discard, you can supplement with some of your fed starter. I accumulate my daily discard in the fridge to have plenty to bake with when ready.
**If preferred, substitute chopped walnuts or pecans for chocolate chips.
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I discovered the joys of sourdough years ago and am always looking for new ways to use my discard. I’ll be making this today. A tip on flour, I started buying 50 lb bags of flour from my local mexican market. You may have something similar near you. It takes me about 4-6 months to go through it, as much as I bake, and the big bags don’t seem to be in short supply like the 5lb bags at the grocery stores. It’s the only place I have found bread flour since the pandemic began.
★★★★★
What a great tip!
Update: This is the most incredible banana bread I have ever had. So moist and soft. It got an incredible amount of lift in the oven. At least 2 inches above my pan. I subbed the brown sugar for coconut sugar and increased it to 3/4 cups since coconut sugar isn’t as sweet as cane plus I added about a half cup of natural peanut butter (the kind with just peanuts and salt). I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand but I did have a bar of 100% dark bakers chocolate so I chopped a couple oz of that and folded it in. Delicious!
Oh how wonderful to hear! So glad you enjoyed it. I’ve received so many great reviews on it and really appreciate yours as well : ~Regan
Any suggestions on baking time if I use a mini muffin tin? I’m making these for my kids and they prefer mini muffins to the look and feel of a reg loaf.
I’d try one at 15 minutes and see how that works. Do that before baking the whole batch 🙂
I too discovered King Arthur Flour website this spring, but I went the experimental way and tried their ‘making sourdough starter by graping the flour’ route (with domestic unwashed grapes) and bam, now I’m fridge-deep in starter. I’ve given it away, I’ve baked bread until we’re all 20 lb heavier and I hate discarding discard. So finding recipes to use it instead has been gold.
I baked this with my toddler (which significantly lengthens all the times listed for prep and cleaning!) and it was gone by nightfall. I suspect the cats, not my husband and kids.
Anyhow, thanks for the recipe and I will be sure to check the blog out (fellow through-the-cracks Gen Xer here)
★★★★
Always good to meet a fellow GenXer 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the bread! And VERY cool about the method you used for your Starter. ~Regan
Is this for one loaf or two? I made it as one and it is still very gooey after an hour of baking. It is also risen almost 2” above the bread pan.
So after completing baking (Took about 1hr 7mins) and tasting we give this bread 5 stars! Super moist and a little more bread-like then most banana breads (which I prefer!)
★★★★★
The Sourdough Discard Banana Bread is a staple in our house – so much so that now as we’re running out (in a day or two, max) our girls are asking when we’re making the next batch. Thanks for creating and sharing this recipe Regan! It’s easy, has excellent texture and most importantly, it’s tasty! I encourage anyone who’s considering making banana bread – this recipe is the best!
★★★★★
My family feels the same way, Chris. Glad you all enjoy it!! ~Regan
So after completing baking (Took about 1hr 7mins) and tasting we give this bread 5 stars! Super moist and a little more bread-like then most banana breads (which I prefer!)
★★★★★
Oh yay! I’m SO glad. My family, too, really enjoys this as a different way to enjoy banana bread. I’ve heard so much good feedback from everyone who’s made it. (And Sorry for the delay in responding to your first comment.) Thanks for the rating!
Perfect way to use sourdough discard! This bread is rich and full of chocolate. My gang loved it.
★★★★★
Thanks Sally! So glad your family liked it.
I’ve made this twice already and will definitely be making it more! Delicious banana bread and I love that it uses a large amount of starter discard!
★★★★★
Yes! I hate wasting starter, too! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe. ~Regan
This banana bread recipe was awesome. The texture was dense but moist. The banana flavor was spot on and the addition of chocolate chips can never be wrong! Thanks for this great recipe.
★★★★★
Totally agree. Chocolate Chips are always a good idea 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it, Marie. ~Regan
This recipe was such a hit in my house! I never wanted to throw away my discard, so made this a few times while growing my starter. It was the perfect texture and sweetness with a super subtle sour note that added some dimension. 10/10 recommend!
★★★★★
Thanks Kelly! So glad it was a hit 🙂 ~Regan
I just made this and it’s fantastic and extremely easy to make. I used what I had on hand: regular eggs and coconut sugar. Excellent results with a surprisingly light texture and nice crust. A keeper!
★★★★★
I’m so glad, Deborah! Thanks for rating and leaving a comment. I really appreciate it. ~Regan
I’ve made this a few times and a now firm family favourite. Today when making I was reaching for the chocolate chips when I saw dried dates. I chopped up a cups worth, softened with a little boiled water while made the rest of the recipe and then added instead of chocolate chips along with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Yum
★★★★★
That substitution sounds delicious!! So glad you and your family are enjoying this recipe 🙂 ~Regan