Ultimate Sourdough Banana Bread: Long-Fermented and Quick Bake Options

dani — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 17:14:14 +0000

Whether you’re looking for an easier-to-digest long-fermented banana bread or a quick and delicious loaf, this Sourdough Banana Bread recipe has you covered!

This recipe embraces ripe bananas for natural sweetness, meaning less added sugar while keeping the flavour banana-forward. Plus, it’s a great way to use up sourdough discard, ensuring nothing goes to waste!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Two Ways to Make It: Choose between a long-fermented version for digestibility or a quick bake method if you’re short on time.
Banana-Forward, Lower Sugar: This loaf relies on natural sweetness from ripe bananas, meaning you can skip extra sugar if desired!
No-Waste Baking: A great way to use up sourdough discard while making something delicious.
Pantry-Friendly Ingredients: Uses basic ingredients you likely already have.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Grab all your ingredients! View the recipe card below for a full list of all the ingredients and measurements.

Cake Flour: This makes the loaf soft and airy.
- Substitute: Use all-purpose flour with a protein content below 11.5%.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Work together to create lift and softness.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavour.
Cinnamon: Adds warmth and subtle spice.
Neutral Oil: Keeps the loaf moist and tender.
Butter: Adds a rich, buttery taste.
- Substitute: For a dairy-free version, use all oil instead.
Vanilla Extract: Enhances flavour.
Brown Sugar: Provides sweetness and depth. Brown sugar also does a great job of keeping this sourdough banana bread moist.
- Variation: If you prefer a sweeter loaf, increase by 30-50g.
Pecans (Optional): Adds a nutty crunch.
- Variation: Swap for walnuts or chocolate chips.

Ultimate Sourdough Banana Bread

Fluffy, flavourful, and with just the right amount of nuttiness, this banana bread makes perfect use of your sourdough discard. It has a tender crumb, thanks to the mix of butter and oil, and is packed with the goodness of pecans. Plus, there's a long-fermented version for extra digestibility!

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Sourdough

Keyword loaf cake, sourdough discard

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Cooling time 1

Total Time 2 10

Servings 1 loaf

Equipment

1 23x13cm (9x5in) loaf pan (glass or aluminium)

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

250 g (~2 cups) cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

¼ cup (60ml) neutral oil (e.g., sunflower or canola)
60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted (salted butter also works fine)
150 g (¾ cup) packed light or dark brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
120 g (½ cup) sourdough starter (active or discard – fresher is better)
460 g (2 cups) mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract

Optional Mix-ins:

100 g (¾ cup) chopped pecans

Instructions

Long-Fermented Method:

Initial Mix: In a large bowl, combine the sourdough discard, mashed bananas and brown sugar. Whisk until well combined. Add in the flour and stir until just combined.
Fermentation: Cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature overnight or for 4–6 hours.
Final Mix: After fermentation, add the eggs, melted butter, oil, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined. Fold in pecans if using.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 55–60 minutes, covering with foil at the 30-minute mark if the top browns too quickly. It is done when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool: Allow the bread to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour before removing and slicing.

Quick Bake Method:

Preheat Oven: Set to 170°C (340°F).
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, oil, brown sugar, eggs, sourdough discard, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add this mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in pecans if desired.
Bake: Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 55–60 minutes, covering with foil at the 30-minute mark if necessary. It is done when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour before removing and serving.

Storage

Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator: Keeps well for up to 1 week.
Freezer: Wrap tightly in cling wrap or slice and put into ziplock bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Notes

For the long-fermented method – the bananas will become brown overnight but do not worry, this is normal and there is nothing wrong. The bananas oxidise but this does not affect the flavour at all.
If you have some overripe bananas lying around but you’re not ready to make anything just yet, freeze them in a ziploc bag! You can also use up some frozen then thawed mashed bananas ffor this recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe into muffins?

Yes! Pour the batter into a lined muffin tin and bake at 170°C (340°F) for 18-22 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.

Can I freeze sourdough banana bread?

Absolutely! Wrap the loaf or slices tightly in plastic wrap, place in a ziplock freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. To enjoy, thaw at room temperature.

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