Feeding your sourdough starter, once considered a chore, might become a weekly task you look forward to since it means you can soon be making sourdough discard banana bread! Using your sourdough discard in banana bread gives the loaf a pleasant subtle tang that nicely balances the sweetness of the bananas and honey. Plus, this Sourdough Banana Bread will stay fresh longer than an ordinary loaf. It's an ideal way to use up ripening bananas and excess discard, and make yourself a treat: win-win-win!
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons(113g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 2/3 cup(142g) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoonKing Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspooncinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoonnutmeg
- 1 teaspoonbaking soda
- 1 teaspoonbaking powder
- 1 teaspoontable salt
- 1 3/4 cups(397g) mashed ripe banana, from about 1 3/4 pounds unpeeled bananas
- 1/4 cup(85g) honey
- 2large eggs
- 1/2 cup(113g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard*
- 2 cups(240g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup(85g) chopped nuts, optional
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan; or a 12" x 4" tea loaf pan.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, beating until smooth.
- 3
Add the mashed bananas, honey, eggs, and sourdough discard, again beating until smooth.
- 4
Add the flour then the nuts, stirring just until smooth.
- 5
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- 6
Bake the Sourdough Banana Bread for 45 minutes, then tent the loaf with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent the top from becoming too dark.
- 7
Bake for an additional 25 minutes (20 minutes if you're baking in a tea loaf pan). Remove the bread from the oven; a long toothpick or thin paring knife inserted into the center should come out clean, with a few wet crumbs clinging to it. The tester shouldn't show any sign of uncooked batter. If it does, bake the bread an additional 5 minutes, or until it tests done.
- 8
Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove it from the pan and cool completely on a rack.
- 9
Store leftover Sourdough Banana Bread, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.