Sourdough Banana Bread (Starter Discard Recipe) - Umami Girl (2024)

/ Updated Sep 17, 2021 / by Carolyn Gratzer Cope / 3 Comments / This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more.

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Our chocolate chip banana bread has been flying off the shelves worldwide for over a decade. I adapted that recipe into sourdough banana bread — a classic, tender, delicately flavored quick bread that doubles as an easy way to use up sourdough discard (unfed starter).

Sourdough Banana Bread (Starter Discard Recipe) - Umami Girl (1)

Why we love this recipe

The sourdough process has so much to recommend it. But one challenge — especially when you're in the process of creating a new sourdough starter — is using the unfed portion (also called discard) instead of wasting it.

This wonderful, classic-tasting banana bread recipe is a great way to use it. This bread is:

  • Tender
  • Delicately flavored
  • Mixed with a single fork in a single bowl
  • Ready in about an hour

What you'll need

Here's a glance at the ingredients you'll need to make sourdough discard banana bread.

Sourdough Banana Bread (Starter Discard Recipe) - Umami Girl (2)
  • Use extremely ripe bananas. Fresh or frozen and defrosted are both fine.
  • You can use whatever 100% hydration sourdough starter you have. Mine is made with hearty rye flour, and the banana bread still turns out delicate and mild. The purpose of this recipe is to hep use up unfed starter (sourdough discard), but you can also use ripe, bubbly starter. The bread will rise a little more if you do that.
  • If you like, you an add half a cup of chopped walnuts and/or half a cup of chocolate chips.

How to make it

Here's what you'll do to make a great loaf of sourdough banana bread. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get the all the details in the recipe card below.

Sourdough Banana Bread (Starter Discard Recipe) - Umami Girl (3)
  1. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas well. Add the sourdough starter and mix it in. (You can use a fork to mix the whole recipe.)
  2. Stir in the melted butter, then crack the eggs into the bowl and mix until well-incorporated. Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla.
  3. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt evenly over the mix and then tip in the flour. Mix until combined.
  4. Pour batter into a greased, medium-sized loaf pan (see recipe card below for dimensions). Bake in the center of a 350°F oven for about 55 minutes. A tester inserted into the bread won't come out totally clean because of the banana, but it shouldn't be covered with batter.
Sourdough Banana Bread (Starter Discard Recipe) - Umami Girl (4)

Expert tips and FAQs

Can you taste the sourdough in this banana bread?

Honestly? It just tastes like banana bread, with perhaps the slightest bit of additional tang — even though my starter is made from hearty whole grain rye flour. The acidity of the starter contributes to a tender crumb, but since we bake the bread right after mixing, the dough doesn't have a chance to ferment.

What if my starter isn't 100% hydration?

This recipe uses half a cup (112 grams) of 100% hydration starter, which is 56 grams of flour and 56 grams of water. If your starter has a different hydration level, you can do the math. Add enough starter to contribute 56 grams of flour, along with additional water to make up the difference.

How long does sourdough starter banana bread keep?

Once completely cool, this loaf will keep well for three or four days wrapped in foil at room temperature. You can toast slices of it on subsequent days. For longer-term storage, wrap in foil, place into a zip-top freezer bag, and freeze for up to about six months.

More sourdough resources

  • Rye sourdough starter
  • My favorite crackers for using unfed starter
  • Scallion pancakes (discard recipe)
  • The perfect loaf of sourdough rye bread
  • Life-changing sourdough bagels
Sourdough Banana Bread (Starter Discard Recipe) - Umami Girl (5)

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Yield: 12

Sourdough Banana Bread

Sourdough Banana Bread (Starter Discard Recipe) - Umami Girl (6)

Our super-popular banana bread with chocolate chips has been a favorite of many families for over a decade. For times when you have an abundance of unfed sourdough starter, I developed this adaptation to merge the best of all possible worlds.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time55 minutes

Total Time1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (454 grams) very ripe bananas (3 to 4 large, weighed with skins still on)
  • ½ cup (112 grams) unfed 100% hydration sourdough starter
  • 4 tablespoons (56 grams) butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup (100 grams) lightly packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 ¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Grease a medium (8-cup/9 x 5 x 3 inch) loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.
  3. Mix in the sourdough starter.
  4. Mix in the melted butter.
  5. Crack the eggs into the bowl and mix well.
  6. Add the brown sugar and vanilla and mix with the fork to combine well.
  7. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the batter.
  8. Add the flour and mix with the fork until just combined.
  9. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 55 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out with only banana on it, not raw batter.
  10. Cool in the pan on a rack for ten minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely.

Notes

  1. You can use refreshed (fed) sourdough starter if you like. The bread will rise a little more.
  2. When possible, it's best to weigh your ingredients for baking. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method to measure the flour.
  3. If you like, you can add ½ cup chopped walnuts and/or ½ cup chocolate chips to the batter after mixing in the flour.
  4. Once completely cool, store any leftovers at room temperature, wrapped in foil, for up to four days. You can toast slices in subsequent days if you like. For longer-term storage, wrap well in foil, place inside a zip-top freezer bag, and freeze for up to about six months.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 127Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 163mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 3g

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More Sourdough

  • Sourdough Scallion Pancakes
  • Sourdough Rye Bread
Sourdough Banana Bread (Starter Discard Recipe) - Umami Girl (11)

About Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Hi there, I'm Carolyn Gratzer Cope, founder and publisher of Umami Girl. Join me in savoring life, one recipe at a time. I'm a professional recipe developer with training from the French Culinary Institute (now ICE) and a lifetime of studying, appreciating, and sharing food. More about me.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chari says

    Sounds yummy. If I make 3 smaller loaves can you tell me how long they should bake? 46 min.?
    Thanks

    Reply

  2. Julie says

    Can I fix this and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight? To help the starter incorporate?

    Reply

    • Carolyn Gratzer Cope says

      Hi, Julie! There's no need to let the starter incorporate more than it would with a normal mixing process, but you can make the batter in advance if you'd like, as long as you follow a few tips. First, baking soda needs to be added shortly before baking, so don't mix it in until the last minute. Second, the longer the batter rests in the fridge, the more pronounced any sourdough flavor will be. This is especially true if you're using active starter but still applies to a lesser degree with discard. If you follow these guidelines it's fine to let the batter chill overnight, but you'll notice a bit more tang in the final result.

      Reply

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Sourdough Banana Bread (Starter Discard Recipe) - Umami Girl (2024)

FAQs

Do you discard everytime you feed sourdough starter? ›

It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

What to do with day 1 sourdough starter discard? ›

You can always use this discard by directly mixing it into a dough for baking. Your discard, as long as it's in good shape, will leaven any bread dough just as well. The discard is just like a levain you would make for a recipe. The only difference is it's the same makeup as your starter.

What is the difference between sourdough starter and discard? ›

I would say the best way to differentiate between discard and active starter is that active starter is starter that has doubled and peaked whereas discard is any starter that is not the main starter and is not being used in an active sourdough recipe as a leavening agent.

What is the 1/2/2 ratio for sourdough starter? ›

A 1:2:2 feeding ratio would consist of one part existing starter, two parts flour and two parts water. For example, if you have 30g of existing starter, you would feed it 60g of flour and 60g of flour. The most common feeding ratios for daily maintenance are 1:1:1 or 1:2:2.

Can I feed my sourdough starter without discarding some? ›

Although you need an active, well-maintained starter for certain artisan breads, you can still make tasty bread with a sluggish, slow starter so you don't have to discard sourdough starter daily. In fact, many of my favorite sourdough bread recipes use discard for flavoring to give bread that classic tang.

Can I leave my sourdough starter out overnight after feeding it? ›

Can I leave my starter out overnight after feeding it? Yes, if you have just fed it.

How long can you keep sourdough discard before it goes bad? ›

Sourdough discard only lasts a day or two at room temperature. As such, it is best to keep your discard in the fridge, where it will last for up to one week. Of course, you can only rely on it lasting that long if you store it correctly.

Can I use sourdough discard straight from the fridge? ›

If you're an experienced baker and are familiar with working with a cold sourdough starter that has been kept in the refrigerator for a long time and you've had success, then it's totally OK to use your starter straight from the refrigerator. You can utilize a cold starter in any sourdough discard recipe.

Can I bake sourdough discard by itself? ›

You can store sourdough discard in a separate container, then bake with it when you want — for instance, maybe you fed your starter on Tuesday, leaving you with discard that you want to use to bake pancakes on Saturday.

How do I know if my sourdough discard is good? ›

You can store mature sourdough discard in the refrigerator indefinitely. As long as there is no mold, it is good to use. It may develop a grayish liquid on top called “hooch” which can be poured off before use or stirred in. If you stir it in, the flavor will become more sour.

Does sourdough discard have to be active? ›

On the other hand, sourdough discard refers to the portion of the starter that is removed and discarded before feeding the remaining starter during regular maintenance. It contains some of the fermented mixture but may not be as active as a fully refreshed starter.

How quickly do you need to use sourdough discard? ›

When you are ready to bake, remove the discard from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. I recommend keeping sourdough discard for up to one week. If needed, mark the date on the container in your refrigerator. After one week, there is a higher chance of the discard growing bad bacteria or mold.

How much should I discard my sourdough starter? ›

Room-temperature starter should be fed every 12 hours (twice a day) using the standard maintenance feeding procedure: discard all but 113g, and feed that 113g starter with 113g each water and flour.

How often should I clean a sourdough starter jar? ›

Have you ever wondered whether you have to clean your sourdough starter jar? The simple answer is you don't need to clean your sourdough jar. It's just not necessary to clean your jar all that regularly, unless it's super crusty or you can't get your starter out or fresh flour and water in.

How soon after feeding sourdough starter can I use it? ›

You should wait at least 2-4 hours or until the starter is at its peak before you use it in your baking. Can you use sourdough starter after it falls? Yes you can use sourdough starter after it falls. It's best to use it at its peak when the yeast colony is at its greatest, but using it after it falls is also possible.

When should you throw out a sourdough discard? ›

You can store sourdough discard in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It's fine to leave it on the counter for up 24 hours, however if you aren't planning to use it straight away it's always better to store it in the fridge.

Do I feed my sourdough starter after each use? ›

You don't need any more starter than that, keeping your starter lean enables you to feed the whole starter every time your use it, which helps it make it stronger and stronger with every use. If you try and keep more it will become slow and sluggish and inactive.

How do you keep a sourdough starter discarded? ›

Store it for future baking: You can store sourdough discard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for future baking with sourdough discard recipes. When you're ready to use it, let the discard come to room temperature before using it to bake. I will keep sourdough discard in the fridge for about one week.

Does sourdough starter go bad if you forget to feed it? ›

If you missed one feeding

Don't worry — your starter is fine. Just pick back up with your typical routine and your starter will settle in easily. To be safe, give it one or two feedings before you bake with it to make sure it's at full strength.

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