Sourdough Banana Bread is a simple and tasty way to use the discard from your sourdough starter.

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You might be wondering, does the world even need another banana bread recipe??

But the answer is a resounding YES. Yes it does.

Because this isn’t just any old banana bread recipe. It’s a sourdough banana bread recipe adapted from my uber-popular, classic gluten-free banana bread recipe.

I repeat – SOURDOUGH👏BA👏NA👏NA👏BREAD👏

Wow, is this good. It’s crazy moist but firm so it doesn’t fall apart, amazing flavor, and a really, really easy way to use the discard from your mature sourdough starter.

I’ve got three healthy gluten-free sourdough starters on my counter that need daily feedings and discards since I’m baking with them every day. All that feeding leads to some discard because I’m not using quite all of it in bread recipes. Naturally, I’ve found other ways to bake with it.

You better believe this sourdough banana bread will be the first of many sourdough discard recipes – I’ve got an entire ecookbook planned!

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Gluten Free Sourdough Banana Bread

If you’re looking for even more quick bread recipes to make, check out my complete list of gluten-free quick bread recipes found on my blog. And of course, there’s my entire cookbook dedicated to quick breads – The Gluten-Free Quick Breads Cookbook.

If you’re looking to convert other quick bread recipes to be used with sourdough discard, I generally use 1 cup of starter to replace 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup liquid in quick breads.

I made this banana bread Live in my Facebook group, the Gluten-Free Baking Club so they had early access to this recipe. Not only have they already been baking it with delicious results, one member used this discard ratio to make a sourdough version of my Meyer Lemon Bread. You guys, there are ENDLESS possibilities here!

I can’t wait for you to get baking!

Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.

Key Ingredients for Sourdough Banana Bread

• Sourdough Starter– this recipe uses mature sourdough starter discard. For food safety purposes, do not use discard from an immature/brand new sourdough starter.
  • The discard pictured below shows the discard from my Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 starter and it’s a thicker starter than most which is why it looks so chunky. It’s made with equal parts flour and water and it works great in sourdough discard recipes.
• Sugar – I use a combination of light brown sugar and granulated sugar. If your bananas are super ripe, you can reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda – I still use baking powder and baking soda to leaven this quick bread. The bread is baked right after mixing so it doesn’t have time for the sourdough to leaven naturally like it would with a long bulk fermentation.

What is a Sourdough Starter?

A sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that’s used to cultivate “wild yeast”. As sourdough starter matures and ferments, it’s used to make sourdough bread. You can read all about it in my Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter post.

Equipment Needed to Make Quick Breads

• Loaf Pan – I use a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan in this recipe.
• Mixing Bowls – I use two bowls. One for wet ingredients and one for dry ingredients.
• Basic Tools – wooden spoon, whisk, and a spatula.
• Measuring Tools – Measuring cups for wet and dry ingredients. I highly suggest using a Digital Kitchen Scale to measure your starter and dry ingredients.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Banana Bread

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper.

Step 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar. Stir in the chopped walnuts and set aside.

Step 3. In a large bowl, add the mashed banana, light brown sugar, eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine and then whisk in the sourdough discard.

Step 4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir to combine and all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan.

Step 5. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-70 minutes or until baked all the way through. If your banana bread starts to brown too much at the end, cover it with aluminum foil.

Step 6. Cool the bread in the pan for 20 minutes and then remove from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack. Let the banana bread cool completely before slicing.

Tips for Making Banana Bread with Sourdough Discard

• Don’t use the discard from a new starter. You want your starter to be around 5-10 days old before using the discard and you want it to be bubbling, growing, and smell yeasty/sour.
• Use a starter with 100% hydration. Meaning, your sourdough starter is made with equal parts flour and water by weight.
  • If you use a starter made with a higher percentage of flour or water, you’ll have to adjust for that when making this recipe.
• Don’t over-measure your flour. Too much flour will make your bread dense and dry. Get my free guide to measuring flour here.
• Let the bread cool completely before slicing. If you slice it while it’s still warm, it will crumble. The bread needs that cooling time to firm up.
• Adjustments for higher elevation baking may need to be made with this recipe.

Other Gluten Free Quick Bread Recipes To Try

• Zucchini Bread
• Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread – found in The Gluten-Free Quick Breads Cookbook
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
• Gluten Free Cornbread – sourdough version coming soon!

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and hashtag #whattheforkfoodblog or tag @whattheforkfoodblog – I love seeing what you make!

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Gluten Free Sourdough Banana Bread

4.69 from 48 ratings

Sourdough Banana Bread is a simple and tasty way to use the discard from your sourdough starter.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 slices

By: Sharon Lachendro

Print Rate Pin

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups 214 grams gluten-free flour blend (see notes)
• 1/2 teaspoon 2 grams xanthan gum (see notes)
• 1 teaspoon 5 grams baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon 2 grams baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon 3 grams fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup 100 grams granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup 73 chopped walnuts
• 1 cup 229 grams mashed banana
• 1/2 cup 100 grams light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1/3 cup milk regular or dairy-free
• 1/3 cup avocado oil or neutral oil of choice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup mature sourdough starter discard 265 grams

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar. Stir in the chopped walnuts and set aside.
• In a large bowl, add the mashed banana, light brown sugar, eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine and then whisk in the sourdough discard.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir to combine and all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 55-70 minutes or until baked all the way through. If your banana bread starts to brown too much at the end, cover it with aluminum foil.
• Cool the bread in the pan for 20 minutes and then remove from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack. Let the banana bread cool completely before slicing.

Notes

1. I used my Nightshade Free Gluten-Free Flour Blend for this recipe. If your flour blend contains xanthan gum, omit the amount called for in the recipe.
2. My sourdough starter is made with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend which contains xanthan gum. If your starter is made with a flour that doesn’t have xanthan gum, use 3/4 teaspoon instead of 1/2 teaspoon.
3. The starter I use is a 100% hydration starter, which means it's made with equal parts flour and water. If your starter is made with a higher flour or water percentage, you may have to adjust the amount of flour or liquid you use when baking this banana bread.
4. Using too much liquid may prevent your bread from baking all the way through or sinking after it's baked.
5. Because of the sweetness of the bananas and sugar, this does not have a sourdough flavor but it’s a great way to use your mature discard.

Recommended Products

The Gluten-Free Quick Breads Cookbook: 75 Easy Homemade Loaves in Half the Time

OXO Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display

Unbleached Parchment Paper for Baking, 15 in x 200 ft, 250 Sq.Ft, Baking Paper, Non-Stick Parchment Paper Roll for Baking, Cooking, Grilling, Air Fryer and Steaming

USA Pan 1 1/4 Pound Loaf Pan, 9x5

Victorinox Swiss Modern Bread Knife, 8.5", Walnut Wood

Cooling Rack 

All-Clad Measuring Cups

All Clad Measuring Spoons

Pyrex 100 2 Cup 100th Anniversary Measuring Cup, Turquoise

Pyrex Smart Essentials Mixing Bowl Set

Silicone Baking Utensils

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g | Calories: 70kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.4g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 13mg | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Calcium: 10mg

Disclaimers

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.

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Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.