Sourdough Banana Bread from Lifestyle of a Foodie

Sourdough Banana Bread - made March 6, 2025 from Lifestyle of a Foodie

1 cup mashed bananas, about 2-3 medium, ripe bananas

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup sourdough discard

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, optional, for brushing on after baking

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 1-lb loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, eggs and vanilla extract.
3. Add melted butter, sourdough discard, brown sugar and granulated sugar; mix to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture, stirring gently. Do not overmix; batter will be slightly lumpy.
6. Pour into prepared pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and if desired, brush with honey or maple syrup while still warm. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a small spatula around the sides and invert onto serving plate. Let cool before cutting and serving.

Although my baking days are getting increasingly rare, as evidenced by the more frequent posting of Crumbl and Crave cookie reviews rather than recipes, I do still occasionally turn my oven on to try a new recipe.

Earlier this year, my quilting instructor gave us a sourdough starter and showed us how to make sourdough bread. I've made it a couple of times but haven't quite perfected it yet so I haven't posted that yet. But I did find this recipe to use up the sourdough discard that comes with feeding the starter and keeping it alive.

As I've mentioned before, I have a go-to recipe for banana bread that I've made for years and my family will accept no other so I rarely try out new recipes for banana bread. But I wanted to try this one, mainly because it uses up the sourdough discard and it appealed to my thrifty soul so I wouldn't have to just throw the discard away.

The original recipe didn't have the streusel but I had some to use up so I added it. I was glad I did as this bread actually isn't that sweet. The streusel adds a nice crunch and sweetness to the bread. It also has a tighter crumb and is more bready than my go-to recipe which is sweeter and more cakey,

This was good but I think I still prefer my go-to recipe. Still, this is pretty good with the streusel and eaten warm.